The winners of this year’s grand prize at the 20th Annual Chili Cookoff are no strangers to the awards stage.
Sumter County Sheriff’s Office, who finished runner up in last year’s competition, claimed the top prize and with it, $1,000. In a grand gesture that many groups followed, the Sheriff’s Office donated the first prize winnings back to the Rotary Club of the Villages.
The overall winner for the best booth prize was Doc’s Restorations, followed by the runner’s up from last year, Dr. Michele Zielecki’s Chriopratic. and Massage Center and Take Stock in Children.
Watch video of this year’s event:
And after winning the People’s Choice Award in the previous two Chili Cookoffs, the Villages Parrot Heads took home yet another People’s Choice award this year. The award is decided by visitors to the event distributing dollars to their favorite booths.
The crowd was packed throughout the day, and thousands took advantage of both free chili samples and a raffle to win a $5,000 grand prize.
For a complete list of the winners at this year’s event, see below:
Best Chili
1st – Sumter County Sheriff’s Office
2nd – Brownwood Care Center
3rd – Villages Golf Cars
Honorable Mention – Villages High School Culinary
Honorable Mention – Commercial Properties of The Villages
Honorable Mention – Rita Early
Best Booth
1st – Doc’s Restorations
2nd – Dr. Michelle Zielecki’s Chiropractic and Massage
3rd – Take Stock in Children
People’s Choice Chili
Villages Parrot Heads
Military Service Chili
Combat Careers for Veterans
Public Safety Office Chili
Sumter County Sheriff’s Office
Rotary Club Chili
Rotary Club of the Villages – Evening
Best Landscaping Display
KB Landscaping