SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Firefighters Burn Institute will host its 7th Annual Chili Cook-Off this Saturday, Oct. 15 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Sacramento Regional Fire Museum.
There will be 10 competitors cooking up their famous chili, and guests can enjoy unlimited chili tastings, local breweries on tap, wine from local vineyards, a silent auction and even musical performances by a live band.
The Firefighters Burn Institute is a non-profit organization that provides recovery programs for burn victims and supports burn treatment and research. The purpose of this chili cook-off competition is to raise awareness about dangerous situations and to raise funds for burn victims.
"We have different fundraisers throughout the year to fund the Firefighters Burn Institute, which supports burn survivors and their families as they go through the effects of a burn injury both in the hospital and then afterward towards recovery," said Joe Pick, executive director for the Firefighters Burn Institute.
The Firefighters Burn Institute was founded by Sacramento Fire Department Captain Cliff Haskell after the results of a deadly plane crash in 1972. A jet airplane was attempting to take off from Sacramento Executive Airport, crashed into a crowded Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlor and killed 23 people, including a Sacramento firefighter, Gene LaVine.
Now, the Firefighters Burn Institute participates in local recovery and educational outreach efforts and partners with the Firefighters Burn Institute Regional Burn Center at UC Davis and Shriners Hospital for Children.
The Sacramento Regional Fire Museum is dedicated to the preservation of fire service history in the Sacramento region, so the Burn Institute sees this as history continuing to be made right next to history already made.
"It's rewarding for me as a firefighter to know that I'm still involved in something that gives back to the community," Pick said.
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