All good things must come to an end, fortunately for United Way, the end of our St. Tammany Red Beans 'N Rice Cook-Offs marks the start of our Annual Campaign in the parish. I’m pleased to report that we brought in over $35,000 through our East and West events in 2019.
Thank you to the thousands of supporters who attended this year’s cook-offs. You’re not only hungry for red beans. You’re hungry for impact.
All Red Beans’ proceeds support lifesaving suicide prevention and mental health services alongside other United Way programs serving St. Tammany parish.
Since January, the funding from last year's events provided Mental Health First Aid certification courses through NAMI St. Tammany to 84 participants, and supported VIA LINK’s and the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office Crisis Intervention team’s suicide prevention efforts, including crisis intervention follow-up, clinical oversight, and program awareness. And it brings real joy to my heart to imagine the amount of impact we’ll be able to generate and how many lives we’ll be able to save in 2019-20.
I’d also like to thank our generous sponsors, including our presenting sponsors – LOOP LLC, Keesler Federal Credit Union, Ochsner Northshore, Slidell Memorial Hospital, and St. Tammany Parish Hospital, West and East cook-off committees, and community partners. Our cook-offs have become a genuine rallying point for St. Tammany, and that’s thanks in large part to their dedication to providing a top-notch experience for both our guests and teams.
And if you didn’t get your fill of red beans just yet, I hope you’ll join us for the inaugural Tangipahoa Red Beans 'N Rice Cook-Off on Monday, Aug. 12. It’s another opportunity to generate local impact for those who need it most.
Living United,
Sonja Newman
UWSELA Resource Development Director
Read on below to see which teams took home the top prizes at the 10th annual West and 15th annual East Red Beans 'N Rice Cook-Offs.
West Winners
BEST DECORATED BOOTH
First Place: LOOP LLC
Honorable Mention: Parish President, Pat Brister
COMMUNITY SPIRIT AWARD
St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Department
Total raised: $785.00
FAVORITE DESSERT
First Place: St. Tammany Fire District #2
Honorable Mention: Parish President, Pat Brister
PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD FOR BEST BEANS
LOOP LLC
JUDGES' PICK
First Place: Dr. Charles Preston, Coroner “Coroner’s Cookers”
Second Place: St. Tammany Parish District #5
Third Place: Northshore Kiwanis
BATTLE OF THE BADGE
Covington Police Department
BATTLE OF THE HELMET
St. Tammany Fire District #4
East Winners
BEST DECORATED BOOTH
First Place: Pat Brister, Parish President
Honorable Mention: Peggy Seeley for Parish Council District #9
COMMUNITY SPIRIT AWARD
St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office
Total raised: $540.00
FAVORITE DESSERT
First Place: Catholic Daughters of the Americas
Honorable Mention: East St. Tammany Habitat for Humanity
PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD FOR BEST BEANS
SMH Ochsner Northshore | Northshore Titans
JUDGES' PICK
First Place: John Raymond for State Rep., District 90
Second Place: St. Tammany Parish Assessor's Office
Third Place: Catholic Daughters of the Americas