Thank You!

This letter is in response to the amazing turnout that we had for the 1st ever Asheboro Chili Cookoff. I was absolutely thrilled and flabbergasted when the Asheboro Police Department told me they estimated 20,000 to 30,000 people attended this first time event.
After reading some of the interviews that were done on the day of this event, I was pleased to hear some of the responses as to why people came out to enjoy this day with us. These responses ranged from those who wanted to help celebrate this monumental event in Asheboro’s history to those who were just so excited to have another event to look forward to in our great city –a new festival that would bring our community together and help stimulate the economy for our local businesses.
The chili cookers were the heart of this food festival. They spent their time, money and energy making tasty and interesting recipes that drew people downtown, particularly before noon to eat, mingle and explore new retail shops.
Our sponsors made this event possible: Carolina Guns & Gold, KlaussnerHome Furnishings, Lumina Wine & Beer, Fresh Cuts Butcher & Seafood, Riders in the Country, Steve’s Stash, Lowe’s Home Improvement, Grainger Industrial Supplies, Ca John’s Firey Foods, SkillTV.net, Stockton Infrared, The Maintenance Excellence Institute, Chili’s Restaurant and BB&T.
This event caused our town – and my wife, Amy and me - to stretch, learn and grow in many new directions. This was a first-time event with a lot of propane tanks and a beer tent downtown. Members of the Randolph Heritage Conservancy, particularly attorney Mac Whatley and Cindy Wilkins, along with attorneys Steve and Brooke Schmidley with Moser, Schmidly & Roose, local and Raleigh staff of the NC Division of Alcohol and Law Enforcement, staff at Asheboro City Hall, including Mayor David Jarrell, City Manager John Ogburn, Fire, Police and Public Works departments worked tirelessly to ensure a safe, legal and successful festival.
Public relations expert Greta Lint, of Asheboro, who works with festivals and small towns across the Carolinas, guided and managed our publicity, while volunteering her time to create and maintain AsheboroChiliCookoff.com. Her relationships with local and regional media paid off, as indicated by the overwhelming attendance.
Photography students from Randolph Community College, Sam Baucom, Justin Mower and Landon Mathers, worked more than 20 hours straight capturing photos, many of which you see on this Website. They gained a real life experience shooting a festival and working with a highly seasoned PR person.
Joel Leonard, with SkillTV.net, added a dynamic, high-tech component to the festival, the Hot Head Contest. He brought two internationally-recognized engineering experts to the event to show how chili heat works. He also organized the clean-up crew and assisted where needed.
Our chili judges were as diverse as the food they tasted: Rock 92’s Chris Kelly, comedian John Philips, Mayor David Jarrell and national chili writer and author Cyndi Allison.
These volunteers helped in many ways: Ann, Red and Tom Boes; Neil Meish;, Chris Grimes; Lisa and Natalie Baker; George Rider and his manager at Riders in the Country; Mrs. Chin and Matt.
I thank everyone for their time, guidance and diligence in supporting Asheboro’s newest festival. On a personal note, none of this would have ever happened had it not been for the support of my wife, Amy, my brother, Andy and my family. I thank them daily.

Bryan Vaughan, founder/organizer
Asheboro Chili Cookoff