Coffee shop to raise funds,
offer diversion from
world
 By
Jenny Jones
Senior Writer
Approximately two months ago, Dan Minear, owner
of Murky Waters Coffee Company, began setting up for the 2001 Chili
Challenge, but when the World Trade Center and Pentagon were attacked
on Sept. 11, all his plans came to a halt.
Everyone was excited about the challenge, then,
after the attacks, no one wanted to talk about chili, and sales went
down, said Minear.
From there, Minear and his team weren't sure if
they even wanted to hold the cook-off, but after talking with the event
sponsors, Minear agreed that the challenge would offer an opportunity
for the community to take their minds off the attacks and to come together
downtown.
The 2001 Chili Challenge will take place from 8
a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday in downtown Lafayette between Second and Third
streets. The challenge is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.;
tickets are $3 for adults and $2 for kids 12 and under.
Guests will have the opportunity to sample the
chili, drink beer from the Lafayette Brewing Company and listen to a
variety of local bands, which include Gabriel Harley and the Spent Prophets,
Lefty, Travis Brandt and more.
Applications are available at Murky Waters Coffee
Company until 11 p.m. on Friday. Contestants who show up at the challenge
before 10 a.m. on Saturday with a $50 donation, which covers tent and
table rentals, will still be eligible to enter.
The rules for the Chili Challenge say that all
chili be made without beans — the original recipe for chili did
not consist of beans - no ingredients may be precooked prior to the
challenge's preparation period, participants must make at least 6 ounces
of chili or more. These rules coincide with the International Chili
Society's competition rulebook.
The chili will be judged according to hottest and
most flavorful. Keith Austin of WGLM 106.7, Don Seybold of Purdue Convocations
and Brannon Soileau, executive chief and owner of the Maize, An American
Grill, will serve as judges.
The cook-off will also raise money for the Tippecanoe
County Child Abuse Prevention Council, which offers aid and shelter
for victims of abuse, and the Shirley Martin Scholarship Foundation,
which is a scholarship for young song writers who show strong song writing
ability.
Minear doesn't want to just raise money for a cause;
he is also a long time fan of chili.
It was during college that Minear's wife encouraged
him to participate in a chili cook-off. He agreed, although he had no
idea what he was doing.
His own participation in three chili competitions
caused Minear to hold the Chili Challenge.
This isn't something that Minear thought of overnight,
said Julie Slota, employee at Murky Waters.
"He's wanted to hold his own chili cook-off for
a while now, and he hopes to make it an annual event," she said.
|
