Organizers of the fourth annual SCV Chili Cook Off presented three local charities with checks of up to $20,000 Wednesday to support their ongoing efforts in the Santa Clarita Valley.
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Nicole Stinson, the co-organizer of the event, was pleased with the money raised for the charities at the event.
“We raised a total of $54,000,” she said before the ceremony. “We’re going to be presenting the charities with (up to) $20,000 each.”
Both the SCV Food Pantry and Single Mothers Outreach received $20,000. Straightening Reins, due to a different arrangement with the cook-off, received $700.
“It’s a little bit (more money) than last year,” said Stinson. “We met our goal.”
Belinda Crawford, executive director of the SCV Food Pantry, accepted the check on behalf of the organization.
“This is a major deal,” she said. “We were absolutely thrilled that they chose us as one of the beneficiary charities this year.”
Get live news updates about Santa Clarita by following KHTS on Facebook and KHTS on TwitterDaAnne Smith, the executive director of Single Mothers Outreach, agreed.
“It was such a fun event,” she said. “I was blown away. When we were approached… we were grateful and thankful because that’s what we needed.”
Jeff Scott, the winner of “People’s Choice” for best chili at the cook off, thought the event was a fun way to support local groups.
“This is the second year we’ve done the cook off,” he said. “It’s a lot of fun. It’s a great community event.”
He added that he believes the SCV Chili Cook Off will only get larger in the coming years.
“You get the ability to give back for the charities that do quite a bit (in our community,” said Scott. “I think it’ll grow as the years go by.”
Stephen K. Peeples contributed to this story.
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