In an effort to warm up the winter season and give back to the community, Galen Glen Vineyard and Winery is hosting a Chili Cook-Off on Saturday with half of the proceeds benefiting students at a local school.

The event, which kicks off at noon and runs until the chili is gone, is being held in collaboration with the Friends of Carbon Career and Technical Institute (CCTI), a nonprofit under the Carbon Community Foundation aiming to bridge the financial gap for students at CCTI who may struggle to afford essential tools and resources for their technical education.

Attendees can anticipate a variety of chili recipes, including those crafted by CCTI students themselves. The $12 admission fee not only covers the sampling of five delectable chilis but also includes a glass of red wine.

“Everyone votes for their favorites and at the end, we’ll be releasing the winning recipe,” Galen Glen winemaker Sarah Troxell said. “We’re very excited to partner with CCTI. Nothing gives us more pleasure than seeing students learn new skills and things they can apply as they progress into their adult lives.”

Not only is the event benefiting CCTI, but students are playing an active role as they plan to submit their own chili submissions into the competition.

“They do breakout sessions every Wednesday morning that focus on team building and socialization skills,” Robyn Plesniarski, a representative from the Friends of CCTI, said. “Kevin Kuehner, a staff member who is also their SkillsUSA adviser, called me on Monday and said they would be making chili as their team building activity this week so this paired up very nicely.”

The partnership between Galen Glen and CCTI has been blossoming, with previous successful collaborations such as a Mother’s Day butterfly release and a fall fundraiser.

“We want to support these students,” Plesniarski said. “Friends of CCTI started about a year ago under the Carbon Community Foundation as a group of parents who have children attending the school and we’re looking to raise funds so that when a request comes through from the school that they have a child in need, we can support that.”

For example, CCTI students have to pay for their own cosmetology kits, which cost between $300 and $500. Other students have to pay for steel-toed shoes depending on their trade area, while health care pupils purchase their own scrubs.

“What we found is that teachers were sometimes dipping into their own pocket to help pay for things their students may need and we wanted to bridge that gap,” Plesniarski said.