Kentucky’s Angels for Ashley Cooking Team is Challenging Locals to a Chili Cookoff to Benefit St. Jude

Is there anything more satisfying on a cold winter’s night that a bowl of chili? In so many ways, chili, particularly this time of year, is the ultimate comfort food. Chili is also usually served up with a hint of competitive spirit. Battle lines are typically drawn by local restaurants who claim they have the best chili. Many folks swear that their families’ chili recipes are the absolute best as well. In January, the Angels for Ashley Cooking Team is hosting an event that’s going to try and settle the argument once and for all. They’re hosting a Chili Cook-Off to raise money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Where is the St. Jude Chili Cook-Off?

The cook-off is set for Saturday, January 6^th at the home of Jerry and Vickie Morris in Whitesville, Kentucky. The Morris family has a long history of hosting charity events on their property and they have a storied reputation for leading the charge to raise money for St. Jude. The Angels for Ashley Cooking Team is a staple of the WBKR/Window World St. Jude Radiothon each February.

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Who is Jerry Morris & Angels for Ashley?

They have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the mission and they have done it by serving up Boston butts, chickens and ribs. Now, they plan to kick start their 2024 campaign by serving up chili- and a bunch of it.

How to Compete

The Angels for Ashley Cooking Team is challenging local cooking teams and chili masters to compete in the inaugural event. The battle will get underway on the morning of Saturday, January 6th, at the Morris residence, which sits directly across from Hayden Farms on New Cut Road in Whitesville. Judging will begin at 3pm.

Jessy Nash, who is helping organize the event, jokingly says, “Thankfully, we live in a very generous community. It might help that there are a few people that are competitive and enjoy running their mouths on who can do something better.” This is precisely how the idea for the chili cook off came about. Of course, the main priority is raising money for the children and families of St. Jude.

The cost to enter is $100 per team/individual entry. Teams are invited to cook on site if they’d like. The Angels for Ashley certainly will be. You are allowed to cook at home if you so choose, then transport your chili to the competition where you can serve it up on site for donations.

There will be a panel of judges who will choose the Grand Champion of the event!

For more info or to sign up to compete, you can call Jerry Morris at 270-929-3869 or Jessy Nash at 270-993-6734.

And to give you an idea of how dedicated the Angels for Ashley Cooking Team is to the mission of St. Jude, check this out. We have photos from their 2022 cookout!