From L to R, 3rd place Mr. Alex Self, 2nd place Mr. Chris Hall, 1st place Ms. Jessica Glusing.  Photo credit Will Marjenhoff

Fort Walker holds second annual Chili Cook Off.

FORT WALKER Va. –Thursday, February 8, crock pots lined the walls of the Beaverdam Conference Center, all of them bubbling away with delicious variants of chili. Garrison employees, tenants, and even some DoD retirees brought their favorite recipes for the judges to sample, then for everyone to share.

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CSM Michael Bailey and Ms. Latasha Woolfolk served as two of the judges for the cook off.  Ms. Latasha Handy (far right), garrison IMO helped plan, decorate, and serve all the guests.  Photo credit Chris Hall

 

Established in 2023, the Chili Cook Off has quickly become one of the most popular events on the garrison. Chilis of all kinds are lined on folding tables awaiting the judging panel, who must undertake the gauntlet of sampling all submissions. This year, there was a wide range of options, from traditional beef, to white bean and chicken, to a wild-game entrant who used beaver, squirrel, and deer.

When all the votes were tallied, the winner of the Chili Cook Off was Jessica Glusing, Budget Analyst who simply named her entry “Basic Chili”. She took home a gold medal, a “first place” chef’s hat and an AAFES gift card. 2nd and 3rd places also received medals, hats and gift cards, as well.

In the end, the most important outcome was the fellowship shared between the workforce and tenant partners. Of the event, Garrison Commander Lt. Col. Jason Duffy said, “I love when we can gather at events like this to share meals, swap stories, and build camaraderie, because relationships and cohesive teams are not built over email or TEAMS.”

Article and photo by Mr. Chris Hall.
Photo by Will Marjenhoff