Hi, I'm Kelli, a new team member...

I am new to the WPI Firefighters' Fund and very excited to be involved in its third annual Chili Cook-Off! Working for its corporate sponsor, I am lucky enough to have a job where I get the chance to help organize events that help others.

One thing I have already realized is that a lot of work goes into organizing these events! It is June and our chili cook-off is not until October, but we are already making flyers, sending invitations, and lining up vendors and advertisers.

This past Saturday I attended a chili cook-off in Dallas, and although it was a hot summer day, that did not stop the chili fanatics from coming out. Everyone seemed very excited about attending our upcoming cook-off, so I really do hope to see them there.

On a side note, although I always had a huge amount of respect for our nation’s firefighters, I am in awe of just how much they do for us. I was astounded to learn that many of them are actually volunteers. I recently read a quote that said, “Most people want to get away from trouble. When you’re a public servant, you’re going toward trouble.” We should all feel grateful to have these firefighters risking their lives and offering their time to help others.

I am proud to take part in the Fund and help organize this year’s Chili Cook-Off, and am looking forward to the event!

List your event!

Did you know that the web has tons of events listings? Well of course, you did, but I didn’t know about these listings until a couple of years ago.

Since I have my own event every October, I decided to mix it up with the people that manage these listings, and I am now on every kind of event listing you can imagine – some just for women, some just for cowboys, some for the state of Texas. I even entered my event on one that is all about international events – because, well, my event is an international event to someone – somewhere.

It's Chili Time!

OK, it’s finally time to get everybody I can think of involved in our annual fundraiser, the Stop, Drop, & Roll Chili Cook-Off!

I’m really excited about some of the events we have scheduled for the cook-off...we have beauty queens, we have clowns, we have musicians, we have chili teams forming, we have a bouncy house that looks like a fire truck, and we even have some big name participants. ESPN, Budweiser, & BNSF Railways are getting involved...have I impressed you yet?

Mark your calendar—October 13, 2007—and get your details at http://www.wpifirefightersfund.org/.

I love getting ready for the Stop, Drop, & Roll Chili Cook-Off—let the craziness begin!