Barb Gray Memorial Chili Cook-off under new management

The Barb Gray Memorial Chili Cook-off is returning to Red Oak after a three-year absence.
The Red Oak Rotary Club is now overseeing the fundraising event, which is slated to take place from 5 to 7 p.m. Oct. 13 at the Red Oak fire station. Red Oak Rotary Club President Emily Martin said they knew the cook-off was a popular event in the community that they wanted to bring back.
“We wanted to continue the fundraiser and make it a fundraiser for a project that’s near and dear to the Rotary Club’s heart, the End Polio Now project. That is a Rotary International focus area, and the responsibility and duty of each club is to support that,” Martin commented. “Rather than ask our members for individual donations, we thought we could get the community involved and do some education, as well as provide a fun event. It worked out that we were able to take this over, and we’re very excited.”
Martin said the format of the chili cook-off will be much the same as in years past, with some additional features.
“We will have competitors who pay to enter the competition and be judged, and the public can come sample chili and vote for their favorite with a free-will donation. They vote with their dollars, which makes it a great fundraiser. We’re also looking at having a photo booth, and some End Polio Now swag and props to use in the photo booths. We also have some End Polio Now coloring pages, so we’re thinking about a station for the kids to be entertained a little bit, but it’s all about educating and raising funds for ending polio completely,” explained Martin.
Martin added that she and other members of the Red Oak Rotary Club were looking forward to hosting a great event that would spark community involvement.
“I think we’re excited this year about getting the word out, and we’re hopeful that the people who have competed religiously in the past will continue to do so, but we really want to make sure the public has the opportunity to come out, and that they know this is happening,” Martin stated.
After participating in the event for numerous years when the cook-off was hosted by the Red Oak Express, Martin said taking over as the host led to some interesting challenges.
“It’s been a learning curve, but we’re excited about that. There’s a lot of moving parts. Also, it used to be that the organization receiving the funds for the event would provide the baked goods. We’re providing those now since we’re hosting the event. It’s a little daunting, but we have a solid committee, and I’m excited about the work they are doing,” Martin said.
Martin also added that polio is a very dangerous and debilitating disease to those that are unvaccinated.
“Polio attacks the nervous system, and it can cause total paralysis within hours. It usually attacks children under the age of five, but people of any age can come down with polio. The “Iron Lung” was created so if a person’s lungs are paralyzed, they can still live. It has long-term debilitating side effects for those that survive, and there is no cure. It can be prevented by vaccine,” Martin commented.
One positive, Martin said, is that polio has been completely eradicated in 99.9% of the world.
“There are two countries that still have the wild polio virus, Pakistan and Afghanistan. The terrain, political unrest, and misinformation are several factors that make it difficult to get into those countries. The single driving force behind polio eradication has been Rotary International.”
In 1985, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation joined Rotary in its polio eradication program, PolioPlus. In 1988, Rotary International teamed up with the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to form the Global Polio Eradication Initiative to raise funds, more than matched by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
“Rotary Pledges to raise $50 million per year for polio eradication, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has pledged a two to one match. If Rotary raises the $50 million, the foundation matches $100 million, so that’s $150 million per year that is going to polio eradication.”
The funding provides much-needed operational support, medical workers, laboratory equipment, and educational materials. Governments, corporations, and private donors also play a crucial role in securing funding. The efforts have paid off, as Martin said the number of polio-affected countries has continued to dwindle since the partnership.
“Even a decade ago, there were three countries affected by polio. Now we’re down to two, Afghanistan and Pakistan, so we’re close, but we still have a ways to go,” Martin said.
In addition to fundraising, Martin said Rotarians also take mission trips where they give vaccines to those in need.
“They go to these little villages, and give oral drops, and mark the pinkie finger with a purple stain that lasts longer than the time frame to get a booster. So after the initial dose, volunteers come back and give a booster dose to anyone that has a purple finger. They also mark the doors of the houses of people they were able to vaccinate so the next team that comes knows who to go to. That’s worked very well for the organization over the years,” Martin stated.
Also, the mission trips have taken Rotary volunteers to some very interesting places over the years.
“It was around 1997 before all of Russia and Europe became polio free. You can imagine what it must have been like going to Siberia and vaccinating children from polio,” said Martin.
Though the efforts of the Rotary and other partners, nearly 19.4 million people who otherwise would have been paralyzed from polio are able to walk, and over 1.5 million who otherwise would have died from contracting polio are still living their lives. The infrastructure that Rotary helped build to end polio is also being used to treat and prevent other diseases.
More than one million Rotary members have donated their time and money to eradicate polio, and every year, hundreds of members work with health officials to continue vaccinating children. Martin said it’s an amazing feeling to be a part of an organization that has done so much to eradicate polio.
“It’s pretty phenomenal. We’re sometimes in our own little bubble in Southwest Iowa, and we do things to support the community, and we can see those changes. We also continue to donate money to Rotary International to support the mission. Our Rotary Club has been in Red Oak for more than 100 years, and it’s amazing to know that our club has been part of this huge, world-changing event. It’s powerful. It not only gives you a sense of perspective, it also makes you feel like you’re a part of something much bigger than yourself and Southwest Iowa,” explained Martin. “I’m not saying we’re not impactful in Southwest Iowa. We make an impact on the community every day. But we’re also making a global impact. That’s very powerful, and it makes you proud.”
Martin said local Rotarians can also have the opportunity to make an impact beyond fundraising.
“If anyone in our club is very passionate about this, they can go on a mission trip. They don’t have to stay in Southwest Iowa in the club, or be a leader at the district or regional level. Any Rotarian that wants to can go on these mission trips at any time,” Martin said.
Cook-off competitors can set up at the fire station beginning at 3:30 p.m. Oct. 13, and five individuals and entities have committed to participating. A total of 15 entities or individuals can participate in this year’s event. Competitors must pay the fee in advance to be eligible to participate. If anyone cannot attend the cook-off in person, they are still welcome to donate by getting in touch with a Rotary member, or paying a visit to Nishna Productions at 204 S. Broadway. Interested parties can also stop in and register to participate in the chili cook-off, or call Martin at 623-4362, extension 221.