Last days to help local firefighter win $10,000 national chili contest

The deadline for voting for a local man among 10 remaining contestants in a national firefighters chili cooking contest is later this month.

The Miami Valley Fire District’s Rick Gabbard of Franklin is in the running with nine others nationwide in the Hormel America’s Best Firehouse Chili Contest, which the 37-year-old Carlisle native said has a top prize of a $10,000 kitchen upgrade.

Gabbard’s recipe can be voted on once daily per person through July 21 at https://hormelfirehousechilicontest.prizelogic.com/en-us/Gallery, according to the contest’s website.

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Gabbard’s competition in the contest’s semifinals includes two contestants each from New York and Pennsylvania, as well as one each from Connecticut, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana and New Jersey.

The top three finishers will not be announced until the end of July, Gabbard said, but he is optimistic about his chances of being invited to New York City as part of the final trio.

“I hope (my chances) are pretty good because it is a unique chili. I was looking at all of the other recipes and mine….stands out from (others) because mine’s got a lot of meat in it and different flavors compared to some others,” he said.

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“I really hope that I’ve got a good shot at it,” added Gabbard, noting he has won three local competitions.

“Hopefully I can keep up the streak,” he said.

Gabbard’s recipe includes one pound each of sirloin, sausage, steak tips and bacon. Three stalks of celery, an array of bell peppers, and a variety of sauces and seasonings are among other ingredients that add flavor, he said.

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Judging is based on originality, potential for flavor and the inspiration of the recipe, according to the contest’s website.

The firefighter at Station 53 in downtown Miamisburg said he stumbled upon the recipe in preparation for a chili cook off at the Germantown Free and Accepted Mason Lodge # 257, according to the contest’s website.

“I was experimenting at my home with my chili to make it better,” he stated.

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“I thought what better way to see how it really taste than to take it to the firehouse,” he noted, according to the website. “When I did, the guys loved it and I went ahead and entered it in the cook-off and won.”

Gabbard’s coworkers are rooting him on, according to MVFD Chief Matthew Queen.

“Register and vote for Rick G. once a day,” according to a fire district Facebook post. “Share this post so we can get Rick every vote possible to get closer to the grand prize.”

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