Law firms square off in spicy chili contest

Law firms square off in spicy chili contest
Matt Borello, Katie Rudderman, Tara Forrest, Brian Kelley, Austin Dragoo, Matt Tonuzi, Jason Rudderman and Tim Hedrick of Rogers Towers, P.A.

In a quest to see who could offer the tastiest and/or spiciest chili, with some offerings certain to set off five alarms, representatives of the Young Lawyers Section of the Jacksonville Bar squared off to see which law firm might be judged the winner during the 12th Annual Charity Chili Cookoff at Riverside Arts Market Feb. 15.

During the event, which exclusively benefited Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech, members of the public roamed about tasting various versions of the Tex-Mex cuisine from 45 different law firms while 12 or more judges sampled each one’s specialty and would later proclaim a winner. To keep things fair and legal, the judges, who wore Mardi Gras beads with a chili charm around their necks, actually hold court as judges in Duval, Clay and St. Johns County. Included among the jurists were Judge John Guy, Judge Steven Whittington, Judge Adrian Soud, Judge Anthony Salem and Judge Collins Cooper.

Several representatives from Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech were also on hand including Clarke Co-Director Cynthia Robinson, Melanie Jensen, Judy Wingate, Aisha Doggette, Stacie Wilkinson and Kevin Copeland. Jensen said she was thrilled that the young lawyers’ group had selected her school as the beneficiary since she had learned last year’s event raised nearly $18,000.

The goal of the event was to raise approximately $20,000 from corporate sponsorships, donations and the law firms, said event organizer Kayla Haines of Smith, Hulsey & Busey. Members of the public sampled all the chilis for free.

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