Jesus, Elvis, Cornbread Chili supper fundraiser planned Dec. 6 in Norris
When Ann Lesar made the move from the frozen tundra of northern Indiana to Norris, Tennessee, eight years ago, she was met by some very different reactions from friends and family.
“One of (the reactions) I won’t forget was about Tennessee,” she said. “It was, ‘Tennessee is all about Jesus, Elvis and cornbread.’”
After several unsuccessful tries to translate that into a country song, Lesar instead decided to turn it into a fundraising event in Norris.
For many years, a chili supper followed the town’s Christmas parade on the first Saturday in December. Sponsored by the Norris Fire Department, it was a competitive cook-off as well as a benefit meal.
Although it went away a couple of years ago, the town has still embraced that day with the Winter Festival during the day and the parade afterward.
This year, on Saturday, Dec. 6, the first Jesus, Elvis and Cornbread Chili Supper will be staged at Norris Religious Fellowship Church. The first piece of cornbread will be sliced at 5 p.m.; the event will run through 7:30 p.m.
Rather than the chili being the star of the show, it will be the cornbread.
Norris residents will be competing for the honors of King or Queen of Cornbread.
Those who wish to enter their cornbread to be judged can drop off their creations at the church from 9 a.m. to noon that day.
People attending will be able to vote by putting the perforated part of their tickets with their favorite recipes.
The menu will include chili with meat, vegetarian chili, cornbread (of course), a drink and dessert. For children under 12 there will be fixings for chili dogs.
Tickets will be pre-sale only. No tickets will be available at the door.
Prices are $15 for adults and $5 for children 12 and under.
They will be on sale in front of the Norris Post Office from 9:30 a.m.-noon every Saturday in November. They also may be purchased on Saturday, Nov. 8, at the Norris Religious Fellowship Bazaar.
All proceeds will benefit Norris Good Neighbors. It’s a group formed in the 1930s that supports Christmas baskets, Angel Tree and Happy Feet. It regularly helps as many as 500 families.