There’s more than just cheese and crackers to this annual event.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – While it may be impossible to name all the ways the very popular dish we call chili is made, one thing is for sure: when the cooler seasons show up, chefs of all levels spring into high gear to create their favorite chili varieties, delighting all those who love it.

Fayette County Farm Bureau (FCFB) has discovered a way to turn this incredibly popular cool-weather food into a fundraiser for an extra special cause.

FCFB Young Farmer Committee Chair Paige Mattingly recently sat down for an interview and podcast recording with Kentucky Farm Bureau News to discuss the “Cookin’ Chili for a Cause” event, which has become the organization’s major fundraiser for the CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) program, providing advocates for foster children in Lexington.

“The event actually started before my time here, as committee members were just looking to have a chili cook-off for one of their board meetings as a way to feed people,” she said. “But three years ago, after I became involved with FCFB, I thought this could be a competition, and there’s one thing about our committee, they love a competition.”

Mattingly said that first year she arrived, there were seven different chilis entered, raising $600 for charity. But since then, the event has grown, with the most recent one featuring 18 chili recipes and raising over $9,000.

“Since its inception, about six years ago, the chili cook-off has raised a total of about $25,000,” she said. “We partnered with CASA, for the last two years, starting with their Angel Tree program, giving gifts to students, but our donation became so large that they wanted to use our funds to actually support their other programming.”

Mattingly said the main rule about the cook-off is that there are no rules, with the exception that Young Farmer Committee members have to be involved.

“Anyone can make a chili, but every Young Farmer has to bring one,” she said. “We also ask some of our board members to bring their favorite chili variety.”

Once the chilis have arrived at a chosen FCFB meeting, a donation jar is set beside each one, and anyone who samples these delectable delights can donate accordingly.

“We ask people to bring cash, checks, your change in your car, or whatever you want to bring to donate to the one that you like the most,” Mattingly said. “You can go out and get sponsors or even give money to your own chili. It doesn't matter. Remember, there are no rules!”

Competitors bring in some very unusual chili varieties, some with noodles, some without, all vying for the Cookin’ Championship. Examples of that include bison chili, the ever popular white chicken chili, Wagyu chili, and even a pumpkin chili.

“They like to get creative when it comes to this event and for the winner, we give a WWE-style wrestling belt with a bowl of chili on it and if the winners want to continue to maintain that wrestling belt, they have to win every year,” Mattingly said. “So, they have to come back the following year to defend their title.”

And while hosting events like this is fun and exciting for their members, being involved in the community with organizations like CASA is the whole reason for creating and hosting events like this.

“Getting our Young Farmers and members involved is extremely important because we want to make an impact and touch our community, and we are extremely blessed to have a board of directors that supports us in the ways that they do,” Mattingly said. “If we can give back in some small way, I think that we've achieved our purpose.”

Mattingly is quick to point out that unlike many of the real WWE matches, so far there has been no table crashing or chair bashing at any of the chili cook-offs, at least not yet.