The upcoming Chili Challenge to benefit local and area hospice patients will provide an opportunity for chefs to prove they have the best recipe.
 The 17th annual event, which includes tasting and judging, is set for 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 20 at the American Legion, 1011 Kansas, Great Bend.
    All proceeds are earmarked for Golden Belt Home Health & Hospice (GBHH&H) patients. The Bikers of Central Kansas (BOCK) and American Legion Post 180 are co-sponsoring the event, which is open to the public.
    Admission is $7 to taste and judge the recipes; children under 8 eat free.
    Pre-registration is required by Feb. 17, with a limit of 17 entrants; there is no entry fee.
    Chefs should each bring a large roaster full of chili that is heated and ready to serve, if at all possible, BOCK Treasurer Rae Ann Brack said.
    “We hope the community supports this annual fundraiser for GBHH&H services,” Brack said. “Hospice focuses on caring, not curing and is individualized for each patient.
    “A patient’s family is also an important focus of hospice care,” she added. “Services are designed to give support and assistance to family members going through a difficult time. None of us knows when we might need GBHH&H and this Chili Challenge is a great way to support the agency.”
    The best chili cook will win $100 and a trophy, and second and third places will receive plaques. The traveling trophy will honor the chef with the best presentation.
    Donita Wolf, GBHH&H manager, said she and her staff, as well as the families they serve appreciate the time and effort that goes into this event every year.
    “It is difficult to explain how gratifying it is to have this type of ongoing support,” Wolf said. “Hospice patients and their families face extremely difficult situations and are comforted by community support.”
    For more information about the Chili Challenge or to register, contract Lori Grauer, 620-639-2927, or Rae Ann Brack, 620-617-3113.
    GBHH&H, a non-profit agency, is part of the St. Rose Health Center family. It has served central Kansans since 1979. Its service area includes Barton, Pawnee, Rush and parts of Stafford counties.
    St. Rose specializes in primary care, prevention and wellness. Services include St. Rose Family Medicine, Convenient Care Walk-in Clinic, Great Bend Internists, imaging, Cardiac Rehab, Special Nursing Services, one-day surgical procedures, Golden Belt Home Health & Hospice and a comprehensive Specialty Clinic. St. Rose is co-owned by Hays Medical Center and Centura Health.