Organizers of the Pearl River Chili Cookoff sent the word out early.
The fundraiser sponsored by the Pearl River Special Education PTA (SEPTA) was in danger of being cancelled if more volunteers did not join the effort to keep it going.
"We sent an email out saying if people didn't step up, it was going to be cancelled," said SEPTA President Jackie Curtiss, also vice president of the Pearl River Board of Education. "The last few years, it had been six to eight of us. WE had 60 or 70 people here volunteering today. That made it possible.
"Many people came today and said this was their favorite thing. They stepped up."
One key addition was Pearl River resident Richard Russell of Mellifont Construction, who helped bring in many of the sponsors for this year.
"We usually come in breaking even, then what we make (the day of the event) is what we make," said Chili Cookoff Co-Chair Maureen McEnroe. "This year, we came in up $6,500 before the day started and will end up around $10,000."
The financial donors are listed below. Rose’s Soft Serve Ice Cream donated 10 percent of its sales from Saturday, Sugar Shaynes donated 200 cupcakes and Prudential Joyce Realty contributed a television to be raffled off.
"We did well," Curtiss said. "It looks like everybody had fun. The weather cooperated. It was perfect chili weather."
Sixth Annual Pearl River Chili Cookoff
Awards
- People's Choice: Luigi O'Grady's Deli and Catering
- Best Theme: Blue Moon Mexican Cafe of Tappan and Woodcliff Lake
- Overall Winner: Southbound Restaurant of Pearl River (Blue Moon Cafe second and Raffaele's Pizzeria third)
Event Co-Chairs
- Mary Screene
- Maureen McEnroe
Judges
- Shane Carlacci - special education teacher and varsity field hockey coach at Pearl River High School
- Manny Larenas - Pearl River resident and high school junior varsity soccer coach
- Damon O'Keefe - Pearl River High School physical education teacher, boys varsity soccer head coach, assistant girls lacrosse coach and junior varsity boys basketball coach
- Kat Cardinale - Pearl River High School graduate who worked in the restaurant business for 15 years
- Doug Sampath - Pearl River assistant fire chief
Contestants
- The Blind Boar
- Blue Moon Mexican Cafe of Tappan and Woodcliff Lake
- Davey's Locker
- Luigi O'Grady's Deli and Catering
- NoCo Catering
- Raffaele's Pizzeria
- Southbound Restaurant of Pearl River
Habanero Sponsors ($300 or more)
- Prudential Joyce Realty
- Terminal Hockey Club
- Mellifont Construction
- Autun Contracting
- PCT Construction
- ESM Contracting
- TDC Construction
- Callaghan Construction
- Dimensional Concepts
- Clarke Construction
- White Mountain Capital
- The Old Village Inn
- Regal Interiors
- Kenney Collision
- R&S Contracting
- All City Remodeling
- Thames Builders
- CDI Construction
- Kercor
- West Point Construction
- McCormack Contracting
- Rose Demolition
- Con McCormack
- Kieran Slevin
- D&F Interiors
- Bar Construction
- Oak Point Property
- Conroy Construction
- Pung San Construction
- Alba Demolition & Carting
Jalapeno Sponsors ($100 or more)
- Keller Williams Hudson Valley Realty
- TD Bank
- TGA of Rockland
- Pie Man's Cottage
- Oriel Construction
- R. Greenberg Construction
- Todd Lewis Construction
- Atlantic Label & Printing
- Kevin Blaine
- Palmer Enterprises
- Integkral
- Jane Gil Gardens
- Chilmark
- Uberto
