Mystery chili champion steps out of the shadows BY JOE HENDERSON Special to The Olathe News More News
The mystery that developed Saturday at the Lenexa Chili Challenge when first place in the home style chili division went unclaimed has been solved.
The winner was Elton Ching of Overland Park and his Motley Crew team. Ching didn’t learn they’d won until Saturday night, hours after the judging ended.
Jim Finlen, recreation superintendent of Lenexa Parks and Recreation, said Ching appeared at his office Monday morning with the number assigned his team and identified himself as the winner.
“He was tickled pink,” Finlen said. “All we had was the number of his team, not his name or his team name, so we didn’t know who won.”
Ching was home looking at the contest Web site when he saw his number listed as the winner of home style. “I called my team partner, Nancy Morrison, who lives in Lenexa, and she confirmed that it was our number. I obviously was surprised.
“It was the first time we had entered the contest and we didn’t think we had a chance to win so we left before the judging was over,” Ching explained. “I guess we didn’t understand what was going on.”
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