All challengers welcome to compete for “Best Of” honors at the annual cook-off competition and fundraiser to support programs for individuals with intellectual disabilities. 

MEMPHIS, Tenn., October 9, 2019 – Thrive Memphis (formerly the Exceptional Foundation of West Tennessee) is excited to announce the return of their popular Annual Chili Cook-Off featuring an exciting new name. The Thrive Throwdown Chili Challenge, presented by iBank, will take place Saturday, November 9, 2019, at Overton Square and will include a chili cook-off, live entertainment, refreshments, and more. Sponsors interested in supporting the event, teams, and individuals ready to register, and guests who want to attend can obtain detailed information on the Thrive Memphis website at http://www.thrivemem.org/chili-challenge/.

“The Chili Challenge is one of our most popular annual events,” said Jo Anne Fusco, Executive Director for Thrive Memphis. “We are very excited about this year’s event with our new name and look and cannot wait to see (and taste) all the delicious entries and enjoy some special time with our community.”

Proceeds from Thrive Throwdown Chili Challenge are a significant source of funding for Thrive Memphis, who strives to meet the social, recreational, and continued educational needs of individuals of all ages with intellectual disabilities. Event sponsorships are available and include a variety of benefits. Individuals can also purchase wristbands to participate in activities and sample the chili entries.

Contest trophies and honors will be awarded as follows:

• 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place chili entry winners (as determined by judges vote, based on appearance, originality, spiciness, and texture) will each receive a custom trophy and bragging rights for a year
• People’s Choice Award – determined by patron vote
• Jon Poulin Spirit Award – presented to the team with best tent decorations, costumes, and spirit, as voted on by the Thrive Memphis spirit team

Thrive Memphis offers holistic programming in a safe, welcoming community for individuals with a variety of disabilities, including those with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Down Syndrome, Developmental Delay, Williams Syndrome, Prader-Willi, Rubinstein Taybi, and more who meet the organization’s participation criteria.

LOGO: https://www.dropbox.com/s/glwl8f9vgnabf4m/Chili-Cook-Off-Logo.jpg?dl=0

Thrive Memphis can be found online at:

https://www.ThriveMEM.org
https://www.facebook.com/ThriveMEM/

https://twitter.com/ThriveMEM

https://instagram.com/ThriveMEM

About Thrive Memphis:

Founded in 2006 by a small group of individuals who sought to build a new program in Memphis to serve the mentally challenged population, Thrive Memphis originated as The Exceptional Foundation of West Tennessee. Renamed in 2019, Thrive Memphis respects those with intellectual disabilities and recognizes their individual worth, strengths, and capabilities. Thrive Memphis works to earn the trust of its participants and their families and by creating an environment that allows family members to experience a comfortable respite. They provide opportunities for participants to thrive while having fun and making friends and believe the community and their participants benefit mutually through knowledge, awareness, and interaction. Thrive Memphis is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit.