Cookoff is kickoff for United Way

By Diane Graff of the Daily Times staff
Thursday, September 14, 2006 1:26 PM CDT

Calling all food critics. The United Way of Watertown is kicking off its 2007 fund-raising drive with a grilling and smoking cook-off on Saturday at Glenn's Market, 722 W. Main St.

Nine cooks and/or smokers have registered to participate in the “United We Cook” grilling contest.

With a $50 entry fee, the cooks and grillers had an option of preparing chicken breast, pork back ribs, pork butt, country ribs or beef brisket. Glenn's Market owner Glenn Roberts, president of the United Way board of directors, will provide the meat. Grillers and smokers can get their meat Friday and begin preparing it at 6 a.m. Saturday, according to organizer Sandi Thompson, also a member of the United Way Board.

The cooking competitors include Robert Fredrich, Ken Goetsch, John Haeberlin, Steve Holtz, Ralph Krueger, John Perez, Charles Robesson and Craig Schuler.

Each cooker/griller will prepare about 30 pounds of meat, Roberts explained. There will be two cooks preparing about 40 pounds of chicken, two preparing about 60 pounds of brisket, three preparing 75 pounds of back ribs, two will be preparing about 50 pounds of country-style ribs and two preparing about 50 pounds of pork butts.

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“When we started the goal was to get between eight and 10 grillers, so we met the first part of the goal and now we are shooting for about 300 people to attend,” Roberts said. “It has really been working well so far and the weather is going to be nice,” he added.

All the cooks are rookies and are doing the work for nothing, Roberts pointed out. Depending on the outcome, it could become an annual event, the United Way president said.

“The whole event is a fund-raiser for the United Way of Watertown,” Thompson said. “Glenn is donating the meat,” Thompson said. “He is being very generous so everything raised will go toward the United Way.”

The judging and tasting of the main entrees will begin at 3 p.m.

The official judges for the event will be Mayor John David, fire Chief Henry Butts and Mark Heiden of the Watertown Daily Times.

There will be a trophy for best display, trophy for judges' favorite and a prize for the most money in a tip jar.

The public can pay $5 per person or $10 per family to taste test and vote for their favorite entry. Tasting will be offered from 3 to 6 p.m.

Tickets will be sold for $1 with the idea people will try the grillers' meat and buy tickets for the tip jar. “The griller with the most votes will get the prize for the public favorite,” Thompson explained.

The $5 and $10 cost is a direct donation to the United Way of Watertown as it begins to accept funds for the 2007 campaign drive. This year's goal is to raise $110,000.

The event will be held rain or shine under a tent in the parking lot at Glenn's Market. Organizers are unsure how many people to expect for the first-time event. “We usually do a luncheon and invite the agencies and community business members,” Thompson said. “We decided to try something different and make people aware of the organization.” Some of the 20 agencies the United Way funds may have representatives at the cook-off, Thompson said. They have also been asked to provide information about their services, she added.

The agencies serve thousands of people in Watertown, Ixonia, Johnson Creek and Waterloo.

The agencies include American Red Cross, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, Briarpatch, Community Action Coalition, Counseling Center of Watertown, FISH of Watertown, Great Beginnings, Health & Wellness Center (HAWC), Jefferson County Early Intervention, Jefferson County Literacy council, Jefferson County Wraparound, Opportunities Inc., People Against Domestic Abuse (PADA), People Against a Violent Environment (PAVE), Rainbow Hospice, Recreation and Outreach Center (ROC), Watertown Family Aid and Watertown Family Center.

“It will be a nice day in more ways than one,” Thompson said. “The weather will cooperate and it will be a fun day.”