Lincoln Police Chief Teresa Ewins takes part in chili cook-off at CEDARS

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – Lincoln Police Chief Teresa Ewins was at CEDARS on Wednesday for a friendly chili cook-off.

The idea was cooked up about a year when Ewins saw CEDARS’ new kitchen and had a friendly competition with one of the staff members.

And about a year of planning and logistics later, Ewins faced off against CEDARS for the “Chili with the Chief Trophy.”

While this was a fun event for everyone involved, Ewins said events in the community are important for LPD.

“It is incredibly important that we have facilities like CEDARS,” she said. “They give us a lot. They support our officers and the kids in the community and we’re able to really bridge the gap and have conversations.”

An event like the chili cook-off is also important for the children staying at the shelter, said Allyson Ricketson, program director at CEDARS.

“So often kids who need to come to an emergency shelter, there’s a stigma around these kids and who they are,” she said. “And so the opportunity for the community to get to see these kids and be fun and silly and spend time with them and get to know who they really are.”

Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird, chef Rachel McGill from the DISH and Katie Dunn from the Butterfly Bakery judged the cook-off.

At the end of the competition, CEDARS was declared the winner.

The plan is to do another competition with Ewins next year, but next time it will be a pasta cook-off.