Chili Cook-Off Recap
February 27, 2025
On Friday, February 21, Homeward Bound hosted our first annual Chili Cook-Off and Brewers Choice Awards Fundraiser and thanks to all of your support, the event was a HUGE success.
With 100+ attendees Homeward Bound was able to welcome back familiar faces and greet some many new friends and partners!
After a full morning of workshops and guest speakers empowering our HBI leaders and celebrating the Launch of “Eat Well-Live Well” Initiative, our dedicated staff made their rounds to several of our homes across the West Metro to bring together our individuals and their loved ones. What a special treat it was to have over 20 residents attend, sample, and mingle with our guests. This undertaking took collaborative planning from the Director to DSP level, and we thank you ALL for your time & efforts!
The competition was fierce, and our teams came to compete! With 13 Chili Teams competing for the Chili Champion title, there was only one way to prove which recipe would stand out above all the others. From sweet, to savory, to a little heat everyone cooked up some amazing batches of Chili. But there could only be one winner! Congrats to our first place Chili Team – Texas Grown/New Hope Lions their inclusion of bacon earned them the title 2025 Chili Champion! The New Hope Lions took home the coveted Golden Chili pot as well the best Theme/Costume award! In second place, team Embassy Suites Mpls, N.’s perfect balance of sweet & heat was close runner up. In third, we had K & K Metal, our charity partner for 2025! Cheers to Team Bitz on taking home the Healthiest Chili award!
All 8 of our featured Brewers presented their best brews, but one stood out above the rest. Congratulations to La Dona Brewery, located in Harrison Minneapolis, for taking home the Best Brewer award! Be sure to check out their taphouse in person as they recently remodeled their outdoor patio.
Joy filled the room from start to finish and we couldn’t be more grateful for our growing community. Without your support, we wouldn’t be able to carry out our mission and continue providing life-enriching services to individuals with disabilities.
2025 Results & Sponsors
Check out the event photos here: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjC3WeM
