The South Carolina Chili Cookoffs, a Belton Alliance event, has provided $1,500 each to five area nonprofit organizations, including:

• Belton Area Museum Association
• Belton Center for the Arts
• Belton Interfaith Ministries Association
• Belton Masonic Lodge #130
• Shalom

An additional $1,000 was provided to the Belton Alliance for the Bubblegum Rail Trail.

The 2021 cookoff was held on May 15 and 16 at the Belton Community Center.  Due to continued Covid restrictions the event was for cooks only and not open to the public.  The two-day event included 115 competitors with the winners qualifying to participate in the national championships which will be held in Myrtle Beach this fall.  Another 50 people were involved as volunteer staff members and judges.  Competitors came from South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Texas, Florida, Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky.  Cash prizes were presented for first, second and third places in numerous categories.

Gene Jameson chaired the Belton Alliance committee which planned and put on the event.  Next year’s cookoff will be open to the public and is scheduled for May 14-15, 2022.