The 43rd Annual Casi Press Release

The 43rd Annual CASI, Chili Appreciation Society International, cookoff was held on Saturday November 7, 2009 at the CASI site, Rancho de los Chios between Terlingua and Lajitas, Texas. The chili cook off, which first started the same year as the Super Bowl 1965, and draws upwards of 10,000 people to the beautiful desert country of Brewster County, near Big Bend National Park. The annual Terlingua International Chili Championship (TICC) has an annual income of approximately $250,000. Out of this annual income, after expenses, approximately $60,000 was donated to charity. CASI is a 501(c)(3) corporation, which means that it has no compensated officers or employees. This year 468 people across the US earned points at over 542 local chili cookoffs and qualified for the Championship. Additionally 184 show teams also earned points to compete in three categories’, Large Show, Small Show, and One Man Show at the Terlingua International Chili Championship. At those 542 cookoffs 15,827 cups of chili were judged, and $1,374,000 was raised for various charities. This year there were 325 chili cooks competing and our Chili winner was Mrs. Margaret Nadeau from Boerne, Texas, who was also the winner in 2005. Margaret is only the second person to win TICC twice. Margaret will represent CASI in cookoffs across the United States in 2009 – 2010.

Margaret Nadeau after her 2nd win at TICC