For the 7th annual Chester County Mac-n-Cheese Cookoff, the Thorndale-Downingtown Rotary has created a special partnership with the Chester County Fire Chiefs Association to gain awareness of the need for volunteers for local fire and EMS stations.
Proceeds from the cookoff support community projects and this year 10 percent of the fund will be donated to the Chester County Hero Fund. For more information on the fund, see http://chestercountyherofund.com/. For more information on supporting the fire departments, see http://helpfightfire.com/.
There will be plenty of firetrucks at the family-friendly event and children of all ages will be able to explore the fire equipment. The cook-off takes place Sunday, June 10 from noon until 3:00 p.m. at Park Lane and Pennsylvania Avenue, Downingtown.
Competitors will start serving at noon and votes will be counted at 3:00 p.m. Music by Couple Days, kids activities, and a pop-up beer garden run by La Cabra Brewing Co of Berwyn will operate until 4:00 p.m. The event will include local restaurants, businesses and neighborhood cooks competing against each other for the title “BEST Mac-n-Cheese in Chester County.
Tickets cost $10 for those over age 12 and for children aged 6 to 12 the cost is $5. To order event tickets to go http://www.macncheesecookoff.com/. Purchasing tickets ahead of time and arriving early is highly recommended. The Mac & Cheese Cookoff promotes the use of local food products and encourages sustainable agriculture, while bringing awareness of the availability of local products.
A panel of judges will judge each mac-n-cheese dish and the community will vote for winners. A total of ten awards will be provided for the top three finishers in Judge’s Choice, People’s Choice and Kid’s Choice winners and Best First Time Competitor. A special award will be provided to the Fire/EMS/Police division of competitors. The first place winners will receive $250. The winners can elect to have the prize donated in their name to a non-profit of their choice, aligning with one the Rotary six initiatives, Peace and conflict prevention/resolution; Disease prevention and treatment; Water and sanitation; Maternal and child health; Basic education and literacy; or Economic and community development.
The raffle tickets are separate from the event tickets and those interested can email the club at info@macncheesecookoff.com. Only 1,000 tickets will be sold for the raffle. Renowned artist Jeff Schaller has painted a special Mac-n-Cheese creation for the raffle. The other prizes in the raffle include a craft beer pyramid and a Downingtown Date Night package that includes a dinner at Amani’s restaurant, flowers from Flowers by Jena Paige, and chocolate from Kimberton Whole Foods. The tickets cost $10 each or three for $20 and can be purchased from Rotary members and at the event on June 10. Proceeds from the raffle are donated to the Lords Pantry of Downingtown.
The Thorndale-Downingtown Rotary Club was founded in 1995 by Jay Edge to service the Thorndale, Downingtown, and Coatesville communities. For more information, see https://thorndalerotary.org/
