United Way of St. Charles expects to host its largest number of teams ever competing at this year’s Battle for the Paddle – and that means even more great food for all who attend the upcoming fundraiser.
This year’s event will be held Oct. 2 at the Edward Dufresne Community Center in Luling from 3 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. More than 200 teams are slated to compete at the cookoff, the winners earning titles including Best Jambalaya, Best Pastalaya and Best Gumbo.
The Battle for the Paddle is a major part of UWSC’s fundraising efforts, with proceeds going toward positive work in the community done by the organization and its partner agencies. Causes include providing meals for children in need, providing support for victims of domestic violence, and building wheelchair ramps for the elderly. More than 30 local United Way-funded, nonprofit agencies benefit from the annual fundraiser.
Admission is $10, but free for children ages 10 and under. Event admission allows visitors to eat as many servings as they care to sample of jambalaya, gumbo or pastalaya dishes, from as many of the various competing teams as they would like to try.
As United Way of St. Charles Executive Director John Dias notes, that’s not a bad deal.
“You get unlimited access to all the jambalaya, pastalaya and gumbo you can eat, cooked by the 220 or so teams we’re going to have with us,” said Dias. “There’s four people on each team … if we get a few more teams, we’ll have 1,000 people cooking before the public even arrives.
“I think adding pastalaya a few years ago has been a big hit for us. That’s become popular and we see more and more of that. So, the food, the music … we still see it as the biggest neighborhood party in St. Charles Parish. And it’s all for a good cause.”
Dias said hopes are to draw somewhere between 5,000 and 6,000 attendees this year.
Live music will be performed by Ryan Foret and Foret Tradition, who are returning after performing at the cookoff last year.
“They were very well-received,” Dias said.
There will also be a 50-50 raffle. And, of course, prizes and custom awards for the winning teams.
Bragging rights, as well.
“You’ll walk through the event and notice occasionally teams who have a tent may have two or three or maybe even more of their past awards hanging. They want to show they’ve won it in the past,” Dias said.
There will be 24 judges at the event determining the best of the best.
First place teams in each category will take home the prize paddle for one year and will receive free entry into next year’s event. First, second and third place teams for each category in the Judge’s Division and People’s Choice Division will also win a prize paddle.
For more details on the event, including updated traffic, shuttle and parking info, visit the United Way of St. Charles’s website at www.uwaysc.org.
