Kinecta's 5th Annual Chili Cook-Off and community celebration, held on Saturday, July 22, gave local chili cooks and aficionados a chance to enjoy a spicy afternoon of fun.

With nearly 350 attendees, the event featured the chili cook-off as well as a Texas-style BBQ rig, music, children’s entertainment, raffle prizes and more. Kinecta also extended special recognition to local police and fire departments for their service and dedication to the community.

The chili challenge pitted 11 Kinecta employee teams against each other. Chef Jen Story served as the special judge of the chili cook-off. She is the owner of Cookin’ Thyme (based in Lawndale), winner of Food Network’s "Cutthroat Kitchen” and a finalist on the show “Chopped”.

First place was a tie between the Trigger Happy Texans with Chief Cook Keith Sultemeier and Team Members Erene Lugo-Islas, Artur Serardaryan, Sarine Parseghian, Jessica Bosnic; and The Spicy Bunch with Chief Cook Grady Bollas and Team Member Kristin Mamiya-Clyde. 

Both first place teams will go on to compete in Del Mar for the XDI Chili Challenge. 

Second place went to Can’t BEAT Our MEAT! with Chief Cook Trephena Perkins and Team Members Claudine Paszko and Fabiola Smith.

Third place went to the Red Hot Texas Chili Masters with Chief Cook Rosina Nilsson and Team Members Duane Reddington, Jim Gear, and Debbi Gear.

The People's Choice award went to FaCHILIties with Chief Cook Kristen Isaacson and Team Members Emma Tomlinson, Cody Handrich, and George Handric,

The Best Table Decoration and Showmanship award was given to Wonder Women and Their POWERFUL Chili with Chief Cook Lori Rios and Team Members Katia Santos and Lisa Longoria

All told, the event raised $900, which Kinecta matched, for a grand total of $1,800. All proceeds will be donated to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.

Kinecta Federal Credit Union, headquartered in Manhattan Beach, is one of the nation's leading credit unions, with more than $3.6 billion in assets and serving over 275,000 member-owners across the country.