HW Mountz is a public school and epicenter for learning in the beloved seaside town of Spring Lake. The classic brick-housed school teaches the town’s children from Pre-K through 8th grade and holds various fundraising events throughout the year for its 8th grade. One beloved event is The Spring Lake Chili Cookoff. Started in 2019 by Maria O’Donnell, who placed third that previous year in the Brielle Chili Cookoff and got the idea for that fundraiser from her neighboring town, the cook-off has become a local favorite that quickly stretched far and wide.
Everyone loves a day at the shore, no matter the time of year, that big blue ocean seems to be a giant magnet. The 2019 The Chili Cookoff boasted about twenty chilis and raised 5k its first year for the children to travel to Washington DC for their final class trip. Covid stopped the next two years of cook-offs. Still, the Spring Lake Chili Cookoff is back on November 19th, 2022, already hosting almost 20 Chilis from cooks all over New Jersey who will serve and compete for trophies and prizes, including big-ticket restaurant gift certificates from local favorites AM Kitchen and Spring Lake Seafood.
Open to everyone, it’s only 10 dollars per person for all the chili you can eat, and if you want to stretch your cooking chops contact cookoff07762@yahoo.com to enter the competition, which is open to all. One large crock pot of chili could snag you top rewards, the public is the judge, and the chilis are diversive and delicious. What a great idea fsor a Saturday afternoon, hand-crafted lunch followed by a brisk walk on the boardwalk. A true chili reception!