Novato, CA – Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company (FFIC) invited FireGrantsHelp and FireRescue1 to participate in their 5th Annual Heritage Fund Chili Cook-off, featuring the 5 top firehouse and 6 internal insurance chilies in the Northern California area. The Cook-off benefits the 
National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, an organization dedicated to honoring fallen fire heroes.
FireGrantsHelp’s Sarah Wilson lent her chili expertise and judged along with Novato’s Fire Chief Marvin Blandon and FFIC’s vice presidents Shannon Jay and Paul Fuegner. Eleven chilies ranging from the classic turkey to a brown sugar bacon chili with a (strong) kick of bourbon stood out as real contenders for the three prizes given: Best Chili, People’s Choice, and Best Firehouse Chili.
Judges and civilian taste testers circled the booths sampling each variety of chili. To ensure a fair and accurate score, firehouse-made corn bread and biscuits dotted the tables, punctuated with a lemon and raspberry sorbet station to cleanse the palate
(and help quiet the stomach).
Sarah Wilson, Director of FireGrantsHelp, used a qualitative approach to her personal rating. “Pure instinct,” said a laughing Wilson when asked how she determined the winner. “My favorites were the ones that some lingering spice; it obviously took a long time and a lot of patience to prepare that sort of flavor.”
Last-minute entry San Antonio Volunteer Fire Department, recipient of a FFIC grant earlier in the week, won Best Firehouse Chili with their classic and beany ground beef chili. Head chef Bryan Lee transformed his grandmother’s traditional recipe with two kinds of chili peppers and a special blend of spices, a secret he wouldn’t reveal in a post-win interview.
The event raised nearly $3,000 for the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. These funds will be used to help support the families of fallen firefighters and as well as continue programs designed to reduce line-of-duty deaths.
About Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company
Fireman’s Fund proudly supports firefighters for safer communities, awarding more than $29 million in grants since 2004. Learn more on Facebook and Twitter.
About FireGrantsHelp
FireGrantsHelp.com‘s mission is to provide firefighters and departments with a comprehensive resource for grant information and assistance. FireGrantsHelp features a grant database that allows users to spend less time searching for grants and more time on research and grant writing. FireGrantsHelp.com also offers users a multitude of grant assistance tools such as: research guidance, grant writing and review, grant resources, tools, news, and much more.