By MOLLY DAVIDSON / Staff Writer

NORTH SHELBY—Join the Asbury United Methodist Church for a night of fellowship, delicious food and fun, all for a good cause. On Jan. 24 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., the Children’s Ministry is hosting the church’s first-ever Chili Cook Off Fundraiser benefitting Imagine No Malaria.

“Absolutely everyone is allowed,” Children’s Ministry Director Kim Burnett said. “There’s no entry fee to enter your chili.”

Chili will be judged by a panel of four judges: Youth Pastor Robert Mercer, Ben McIntyre, Ralph Ritter and Stephen Franklin. An award ceremony will be held to recognize those with the best chili recipes and the first place winner will receive a ribbon and the Golden Ladle, Burnett said.

However, entering chili is not the only way to participate in the event. For just $10 per adult and $5 per child, attendants can sample chili and enjoy an evening full of activities, including line dancing to music spun by a DJ, Burnett said.

“We’re very, very exited,” Burnett said of the first edition of the Chili Cook Off Fundraiser. “It’s a wonderful fellowship opportunity.”

All proceeds raised from the Chili Cook Off Fundraiser will benefit Imagine No Malaria, a United Methodist Church mission to prevent malaria worldwide. The evening does not have a set monetary goal, rather Burnett said Asbury UMC is looking for “anything we can possibly raise.”

“Ten dollars saves a life,” Burnett said, noting Asbury UMC has been involved with Imagine No Malaria for “several months,” and as whole, the United Methodist Church has raised more than $64 million to date toward the goal of $75 million for worldwide malaria prevention and cure.

For more information and to sign up for the Jan. 24 Chili Cook Off Fundraiser, visit Asburyonline.org/chilicookoff. Registration is open until Jan. 18. To learn more about Imagine No Malaria, visit Imaginenomalaria.org.