After recovering from three days of spicy hoopla and several weeks of intense bean counting to finalize accounts, organizers of the 2018 Mexican National Chili Cookoff revealed it was the most successful in the event’s 40-year history, especially for the eight charity organizations it supports.
Cookoff president Jacque Bouchard divulged a post-mortem report and final tallies at a breakfast gathering held Wednesday, March at Manix Restaurant. He expressed heart-felt gratitude to all members of his board, the huge team of volunteers and entertainers who helped make it happen and everyone who pitched in by attending the cookoff. He offered a special pat on the back to treasurer Gail Hardie for tight financial management that has boosted net revenue by 81 percent since 2016 and increased proceeds for the beneficiaries by 50 percent over last year.
Officers of Los Niños de Chapala y Ajijic, Programa Pro Niños Incapacitados del Lago, Casa de Ancianos de Chapala, Cruz Roja Delegación Chapala, Cedejo Family Development Center, the School for Special Needs Children and Lake Chapala Shrine Club were on hand to collect checks, each made out in the amount of 60,000 pesos. Another was set aside for Love in Action Children’s whose representative was unable to attend.
By comparison, the each of the non-profit groups on the cookoff roster received 32,000 pesos in 2016 and 40,000 in 2017.
This year’s attendance also hit an all-time, with more than 6,000 people going through the Tobolandia entry gate between February 23 and 25.
Dates set for the 2019 cookoff are February 15, 16 and 17.