Chili competitors at Carson City cook-off raise their game to benefit veterans
Mother Nature brought the heat Saturday to open the annual High Sierra and Nevada Capitol Regional Chili Cook Off held at Glen Eagles Restaurant in Carson City.
But chili flavors stole the show, which raises money to send veterans back East to Washington, D.C., on an all-expenses-paid trip that also pays tribute to their military service.
One hundred percent of proceeds collected from the weekend chili cook-off competition pay for the costs of sending veterans on a sight-seeing trip to Washington, D.C., said Jon Yuspa, CEO of Nevada Honor Flight.
Honor Flight Nevada is a Northern Nevada-based 501(c)3 non-profit organization that raises money to send veterans to the nation's capital, where they are given VIP treatment in a comprehensive tour that also honors their military service.
Each flight usually holds around 30-40 veterans, Yuspa said, and costs around $1,000 per passenger. The organization has already taken two trips this year and they are planning on two more in the spring of 2019.
“Obviously we can’t do it without the money, but it's camaraderie as well as the folks that aren’t maybe veterans or their families come out and say hello and meet and greet and get to see where the money goes,” Yuspa said.
Gary Mouck, a World War II and Korean War veteran, has been on three flights to Washington, D.C., the last being in 2013.
“It meant a lot to me because prior to going on the Honor Flight, I really hadn’t had a chance to think about, I didn’t want to think about, service,” Mouck said.
Mouck enlisted at the young age of 17 years, and said it was about 40 years from the time he returned home from Korea that he even wanted to begin to think about service again.
“Going on the Honor Flight and being there with other World War II vets mainly, it just changed my attitude and I have participated never since,” Mouck said. “I haven’t gone to all of the returns, but the most recent was just a couple of weeks ago returning from Washington.”
Mouck said he has gone to the cook-offs for a couple of years now and has gotten to know the many people so deeply involved in the organization and it has been a truly touching experience.
The High Sierra and Nevada Chili Regional Cook-Off continues Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Glen Eagles restaurant, located at 3700 North Carson Street.
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