Last Modified: Monday, October 24, 2011 1:06 PM

BY NATALIE STEWART / AMERICAN PRESS

The Calcasieu Council on Aging teamed up with Southern Home Health and Delta Downs to host its first “Miles for Meals Turkey Trot/Gumbo Cook-off” to raise funds for its Meals on Wheels program.
The fundraiser will feature food and entertainment, Robin Abshire, patient care representative for Southern Home Health, said.
Meals on Wheels is a Council on Aging program that provides people 60 and older in the community with a hot meal once a day Monday-Friday, she said. It cost almost $1,800 a year to feed one person.
“This fundraiser is so important to us to help the elderly in our community because in Home Health we come across many patients that continue to remain on a waiting list for a hot meal,” Abshire said.
The cook-off will start at 6 a.m. Nov. 12 at the Prien Lake Park outdoor pavilion with judging scheduled for 10:30 a.m., Abshire said.
She said rice and paper products will be provided for the contest, and each four-man team is required to have a minimum of a five-gallon pot.
The cost to enter the contest is $100, Abshire said. First-, second-, and third-place prizes will be awarded. Pre-registration deadline is Nov. 1.
Registration for the 3K “Miles for Meals Turkey Trot” begins at 8 a.m., with the opening ceremonies scheduled for 8:45 a.m., and walk starting at 9 a.m., she said.
Preregistration for the walk is $20 per person and $25 the day of the event. It is $10 for people 60 and older, Abshire said.
She said first-, second-, and third-place prizes will also be awarded to teams with the most creative shirts.
Gumbo from the cook-off will be served after the walk for $5 a bowl, Abshire said. Live entertainment will include the Louisiana Scramblers with guest Jo-el Sonnier.
“With this event all money raised will go directly to the Meals on Wheels program to help those clients that remain on the list as well as new clients coming in daily,” Abshire said.
For information or to register, visit www.calcoa.org.