Mundelein chili contest benefits Parkinson's research

More than 50 friends, neighbors and family members gathered to taste chili, win prize baskets and raise money to find a cure for Parkinson's disease at the Fourth Annual Parkinson's Chili Cook-Off Saturday afternoon at the DoubleTree Hotel in Mundelein.

Twelve different chili recipes were entered in this year's cook-off. As attendees sampled the chili, they assigned rankings based on five categories: Color, aroma, consistency, flavor and aftertaste.

Round Lake Beach resident Carl Koster's chili with Mexican oregano, ground beef and three pounds of chorizo, won first prize.

Home chefs weren't the only ones who went home having won something; dozens of prize baskets were also distributed via a raffle and silent auction. The baskets contained donated items like sports jerseys, bottles of wine and golf outings.

The event is run by friends Barb Stoneciphek and Jodi Maka. It is just one of the events they run, the largest being their annual Stepping Out for Parkinson's walk over the summer.

"It is a collaboration of all our friends and family who have been so supportive to us," Stoneciphek of Round Lake said, adding that some of the friendships in the room went back to kindergarten.

The 2016 Parkinson's walk will be at 11 a.m. on June 12 at the Nippersink Forest Preserve in Round Lake.