A HOT AND SPICY FUNDRAISER IN MILROY

Saturday's chili/ soup cookoff contest at St. Michael's Church in Milroy, it's that the Milroy knows chili as much as it knows baseball.

The fundraiser, which wasn't held a year ago, has been going for years, and this year, the Dolans took the cake, er, chili.

Moses Dolan was the winner in the chili category, with Jennifer Coudron taking second, and Grace Dolan's brew was honorable mention. But the humble Dolan, mostly known for his prowess on the baseball field, wasn't about to take the credit, instead deferring that to his wife, Alecia, who said her secret to spicy success is a basic one.

'It's actually my mom's recipe,' the 2018 Tracy Area High School graduate said. 'I've had it ever since I was little. It's really easy — tomato soup, some kidney beans, meat and some seasoning. That's it. The longer it sits, the better, too.'

In the soup category, Adria (Dolan) Alcorn was the first place winner, and Neil and Linda Dolan took second, with Ashley Zwach taking home honorable mention honors. Adria, like Moses, gave credit for their success to their other half.

Her secret: 'Help from Tyler!' she said, referring to her husband, another ballplayer for the Irish. 'It was just a recipe I found on the internet, and we just tried it. All of our kids like it, so that's the one we went with. I wish I had some kind of secret, but ... nope.'

A total of 32 chilis and soups were entered in the contest, and each was numbered and were available for all guests to partake in. Judges included Dean Zwach, Hope and Jacob Welu, Michelle Lanoue, Jamie Larson and Todd Vogl.

The event is a fundraiser for the Catholic Heart Work Group at the church, which encompasses youth from Milroy and Tracy.

Jean Schmidt started the fundraiser years ago, a 'long time' ago, she said. 'We've been having people ask for it since we didn't do it last year.'

The menu wasn't just chili and soup, however. Schmidt made most of the desserts because 'I like to bake. I'm a cake baker, too. It's a lot of work, but it's fun. I would do anything for these kids and this program. We had a lot of chili this year — we don't have any problems getting people to bring it!'

Monies raised will go toward the work group's retreat to Steubenville, a three-day, summer youth conference at the University of St. Thomas, where teens between the ninth and 12th-grades can experience 'a life-changing encounter with Christ,' according to the Steubenville website.