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Residents of Lowndes County and surrounding communities traveled to Calico Fort on Oct. 28 to take part in a community cookoff to benefit the Fort Deposit Volunteer Fire Department.

Department Board Member Frieda Cross said this was the first time the department has hosted the event and it was a successful day for the community.

“I think it went well for it to have the first time we had it [the cookoff],” Cross said. “There were several significant donations to the fire department from individuals who came out, but my biggest thing about it is that the people were out there visiting and enjoying each other. That’s what something like this is all about.”

Competitors chose from any of three divisions to enter their mouthwatering morsels in for a chance to win a cash prize: chili, ribs, and chicken.

Winners of the event were Charles Godwin in the chili division, Brandon Hood in the ribs division, and Tommy Bowen in the chicken division.

Fort Deposit Volunteer Fire Department Captain Bob Hood said he was impressed with the response to the event and the department has plans for this event to be the first of many cookoffs to come.

“Everything went really well and we had a good turnout,” Hood said. “Everybody had a good time and we’re planning on having it again next year.”

Cross acknowledged that while the funds raised at the event benefit the fire department, the goal of the event was to bring the community together and she hopes to see this happen more frequently.

“We don’t have many things in Fort Deposit where the entire community gathers together to enjoy each other,” Cross said. “Whatever we can do to bring the people together, that’s what we need to do and we need to do more of it, more often.”