Lexington, SC (Paul Kirby) – Lexington County firefighters won top prize for their traditional chili at the Lexington Chili Cook Off, organized by Blowfish Baseball and the Old Mill Brew Pub again this year. The event, held at the Icehouse Amphitheater, was held on a perfect chili eating day as the morning started with bright skies and temperatures in the 30s.
Hundreds came to taste the best the cooks had to offer. In some cases, this was a personnel thing, a challenge that couldn’t be ignored. Some professions like the firefighters and police officers also had a little good-natured ribbing going on as the competition and the chili heated up. It was simply a wonderfulday to be in Lexington.
Over 25 teams entered. All the money raised would be donated to Town of Lexington Police Department’s Foundation and the Jeffrey Vaden Chavis House. That’s a home in Augusta where people can stay, live, eat, and just rest if a loved one is being treated at the Southeastern Burn Institute. Our firefighters helped found and continue to support this project since Jeff was killed in 2001 fighting a fire while on duty in Lexington County.
All the chili was good, but in the end the judges had to choose a winner. They named the Lexington Firefighters team as the winner in the traditional chili category. Lexington Police Department’s team took a respectable 9th place with their venison chili and 3rd in the People’s Choice Award. Other winners included Carolina Wings for non-traditional chili and the 3P Chili for showmanship. The people’s choice award went to the Town of Lexington team beating out their own police officers.
