Briefs: Rotary Dozen Dinner Draw, Chili Cook-Off

Ithaca Rotary Club fundraiser receives $10,000 challenge grant

The Rotary Club of Ithaca has received a $10,000 challenge grant for its Dozen Dinner Draw fundraiser, which will help girls gain access to menstrual hygiene products in East Africa and Central America. Rotarian Club member Dennis Gray has offered the matching funds from his company, Backyard Brands Inc., a manufacturer of pools, swim spas and hot tubs’ water care treatments in the United States and Canada. The company’s charity, Share the Gift of Water, supports projects focusing on community needs assessment, capacity building and sustainability that provide access to safe water and adequate hygiene to communities in need around the world. The challenge offer will increase the funding raised by the Dozen Dinner Draw to $25,000, if all the tickets for the raffle are sold. The fundraiser was launched in November with a goal of generating $15,000 for two nonprofits that support menstrual hygiene of girls in Guatemala and in Uganda and South Sudan. “This challenge grant offers the club the ability to increase the impact the two selected beneficiaries can achieve if we maximize ticket sales in the remaining weeks of the Dozen Dinner Draw,” said Gray, who lives in Danby. The club plans to sell 300 tickets for the raffle, and 180 have been sold as of Jan. 14. The grand prize is 12 $100 gift certificates to restaurants in the Ithaca area. Tickets cost $50 and can be reserved at the event’s website at rotarydozendinnerdraw.org through Feb. 8. One of the projects funded through the raffle posits will support Lansing’s Sewing Saints — Days for Girls, a group of volunteers that has been creating menstrual hygiene kits, including reusable pads, underwear, liners, soap and washcloths, since 2013 (some of its volunteers are shown above). The second project to be funded by the raffle will provide training and materials to create reusable menstrual hygiene kits at three schools in Uganda and South Sudan. The drawing for the raffle, which will award a total of six prizes, will be held Feb. 9 at the Rotary Club’s weekly meeting, which begins at 12:15 p.m. Anyone who wants to attend the meeting can request a Zoom link on the club’s website at ithacarotary.com.

 

Ithaca Chili Cook-Off moved to March

Get your palates ready for downtown Ithaca’s 24th Annual Chili Cook-Off happening in March. Downtown Ithaca typically hosts this crowd-drawing cook-off in early February; however, due to the omicron variant sweeping through the community, the event is moving to one month later, March 5, to keep everyone safe. “Dozens of restaurants and eateries participate and thousands of people show up for our Chili Cook-Off each year, and we want everyone to have the safest experience possible. To that end, we’ve worked with the Tompkins County Health Department to determine an ideal time to host this event, and early March seems to be a good fit,” said Scott Rougeau, special events director for the Downtown Ithaca Alliance (DIA). New this year, guests will have a couple of opportunities to enjoy chilis. During the week leading up to the big event, folks will be able to enjoy bowlfuls of steaming sweet, spicy, tangy, meaty, vegan and vegetarian chilis and chili-inspired items at participating restaurants. Guests can then come downtown on March 5 for even more chili options at the cook-off competition. Each of the chilies in the competition is freshly prepared by some of the region’s best chefs from over two dozen participating restaurants and eateries. Locally and regionally produced brews, wines and ciders tastings will also be part of the event. The DIA is currently recruiting restaurants, and some of the confirmed participants include Antlers Restaurant, a newcomer to the cook-off, Kilpatrick’s Publick House, Mahogany Grill, Lucky Hare Brewing Company and The Hotel Ithaca. Culinary experts from these and other participating restaurants and eateries will be competing for the public’s votes to earn People’s Choice and Best Presentation honors. You’ll be able to vote for your favorites at the event. Meanwhile, a juried group will decide the top three entries for Best Meat Chili, Best Vegetarian Chili and Best Local Beverage. The grand prize is the famed Chili Cook-Off trophy and plenty of bragging rights! If you’re a restaurant or eatery interested in participating in this event, you can complete the Chili Cook-Off registration form on downtownithaca.com. For additional Chili Cook-Off information and to purchase tickets, visit downtownithaca.com. Shown above: two patrons enjoy chili at a past year’s Chili Cook-Off.