Judges Nick Goralczyk and Antony Garza with the champion trophy.

By Shari Benyousky
Guest Columnist

WARSAW — Edgewood and Lakeview Middle Schools in Warsaw have a long-standing in-town rivalry, but this year something is very different. This year two PTO Presidents who happen to be also long-standing friends started brainstorming.

“We all end up as Tigers at high school eventually, right?” Lakeview MS PTO President Jeri Purdy told me.

“Healthy competition is good, but we wanted to make inroads between the two middle schools’ students, parents, and teachers too.”

There has been a recent district-wide push to have Tigers of all ages and from all areas of the district work more together. “The mentality of school pride is super important,” Jeri continued. “A PTO has a lot of asks and we want to help all teachers. We want our funds to help all.” Jeri and her counterpart at Edgewood Middle School, Jenna Carter, created this co-sponsored event to make this happen.

Where Was It?

I arrived at the Barn 1880 for the Chili Cook-Off Event on a golden fall evening. Kids played in a bouncy house on the lawn or tossed corn-hole beanbags. Parents stood in line to buy chili tickets. Off to one side on the patio, someone grilled hot dogs for the non-chili aficionados.

The Davis Family was a competitor.

The two chili judges, Nick Goralczyk and Antony Garza, got their instructions. Jeri and her partner Jenna and helpers organized the competitors as they carried in their crock pots of chili. Some brought homemade sourdough or cornbread. Others brought toppings like sliced jalapenos, bacon, crackers, or shredded cheeses.

When she had a moment to breathe, I talked with Jenna Carter, the Edgewood Parents as Partners in Education Organization President (PPE is like a PTO). Jenna told me proudly, “We are splitting the proceeds in half for both schools.” Jenna wore a bright orange EMS Tigers T-shirt and jeans. She grinned when I asked how the event came to be.

How Did It Come About?

Jeri Purdy already had a chili cook-off planned to help fund her Lakeview PTO. When she was talking with her friend Jenna Carter at a master’s class they were helping to teach for the district, the brilliant idea to combine forces was born. “We have such a friendship and personal history that made sense,” Jeri exclaimed.

Both parents have kids at their respective middle schools, and both wanted to find ways to help all their teachers. Both Middle Schools have the same kind of personal rivalry and historical friendship too. It seems like a natural partnership.

What’s The Difference Between Edgewood And Lakeview?

The Boggs Family was one of the competitors.

A recent count put Edgewood’s student count at 537 and Lakeview’s at 477. Edgewood sits on the west side of Warsaw near the High School, and Lakeview more east towards Winona Lake and the fairgrounds.

Both sets of students attend the Warsaw Community Public High School when they graduate from the eighth grade. Both call themselves Tigers. Carter and Purdy hope this is the first of many co-events.

“I say all time to the middle school teachers that they are saints!” Purdy nodded. “We don’t want to see any of our kids’ lights turn off. This event is a chance for kids to see that teachers are real people. They make good chili too.”

The Judging

Nick Goralczyk has a stepson at Edgewood and runs a Knights of Columbus Council of Syracuse BBQ event each year. The other judge, Antony Garza, is a real judge in Whitley Council and a certified Kansas City BBQ Society International judge. “But I’m totally neutral here,” Goralczyk claimed, and Garza agreed.

Envision design created this this chili logo for the first Chili Cook-Off event

They got to taste test all the entered chilis and rate them on a score sheet with categories like taste, texture, aftertaste and spice level.

Those who entered the Barn 1880 with tickets also got to vote with their tickets for the other half of the score. The winner was chosen based on the highest judging score plus the highest number of sample voting tickets.

Envision Designs with Josh Colman is a corporate sponsor of Edgewood Middle School. Josh designed the cool bowl and spoon-themed trophy which will travel back and forth between the schools for future annual chili cook-off events. Josh also brought laser-etched mugs, Edgewood and Lakeview earrings, and apparel. The owner of the Barn 1880, Amanda Scroggs, told me she also uses Envision for 3-D wooden table numbers for weddings that are “out of this world.”

Most Interesting Ingredients

The competitors didn’t have to reveal their secret recipes exactly, although they did provide lists of ingredients in case a taster had food allergies. Some interesting ingredients I saw included: cinnamon, cloves, pork sausage, venison, red wine vinegar, sweet chocolate, bacon, black beans, peanut butter and sea salt.

When I asked competitor Kevin Denlinger about the peanut butter, he told me that his mom had always served her chili with peanut butter sandwiches. One day as an adult he got the brilliant idea to mix them together, and the recipe was born. It was one of my personal favorite tastes of the event, and the eventual Chili Champion.

On the other side of exotic was the Beeler Family who told me their recipe was “nothing weird or special but made with lots of love.” It worked as they took third place.

The Competitors

Hannah Hackenberg | Team Lakeview

Jerry Haselman | Team Edgewood

April Boggs | Team Lakeview

Davis Family | Team Lakeview

Sande Oreguela | Team Edgewood

Kevin Denlinger | Team Edgewood, Chili Champion

Gloria Reicherd | Team Lakeview

Todd Braddock | Team Lakeview

Jeff and Anna Beeler | Team Edgewood, third place

Arica Edwards | Team Lakeview, fourth place

Tyson Baker and family | Team Lakeview, second plate

Sponsor Shoutouts

In addition to Envision, the event was sponsored by The Barn 1880, In the Loop Communications of Winona Lake, and The Block Party Trailer from Winona Lake Grace Brethren Church. Also huge thanks to the parents, family, principals, and members of the Lakeview PTO and the Edgewood PPE.

As Edgewood Principal Joella Hauselman said for everyone: “We are so excited for the two schools to come together for such a great cause!”

Go Tigers!

Know of an interesting place, board, event, nonprofit, or person that you’d like to see featured behind the scenes someday? Send SB Communications LLC an email at [email protected].