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The 13th Annual Lip-Rippin’ Chilympics Chili Cook Off, a Grand Strand tradition, will be held Sunday, October 14, 2012 at Spuds Waterfront Dining/Crazy Sister Marina located in Murrells Inlet. 

This year’s benefit, free and open to the public, begins at noon with chili samples available for purchase from over 30 area self-proclaimed “Chilimasters”. Categories of competition for this year are:  Best Overall, Best Restaurant, People’s Choice, Hottest, Most Original, Best Vegetarian, Best Theme, and Best Use of South Carolina Products. Over $5,000 in cash and prizes will be given to the first and second place winners in each category.

This year’s event will also feature music from our region’s hottest bands, including Danielle Howle, Downtribe, The Carvers from Wilmington, NC, Pure Cult, and Ten Toes Up. 

Chili sample tickets will be sold for $1. Beer from New South Brewing Company will also be available for purchase. The Grand Strand Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation will also have a booth set up selling merchandise, including items made with biodegradable or recycled materials, information on the chapter and its activities, and how to get involved in the chapter. 

This year we are asking participants and attendees to bring a non-perishable or canned food item to support the efforts of South Strand Helping Hand. In addition to the chili and music, we will have local non-profits, businesses, and artists to display along the walkway in front of the Crazy Sister Marina. A Kids’ Area with food, soft drinks, face painting, and inflatables will be available.

All proceeds from this event and others fund the projects of the Grand Strand Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation, a grassroots, non-profit, environmental organization that works to protect our oceans, waves, and beaches. Founded in 1984, Surfrider’s most important coastal environmental work is carried out by 57 chapters located along the East, West, Gulf, Puerto Rican, and Hawaiian coasts. Surfrider now has over 30,000 members in the USA ; in addition, International Surfrider chapters and affiliates have been established in the countries of Japan , Brazil , Australia , France and Spain.

The Grand Strand Chapter is comprised entirely of volunteers and serves the entire Grand Strand from Little River to Pawleys Island, encompassing both Horry and Georgetown counties. Our chapter works to keep our beaches and waves clean, educate the public, and protect beach access. For more information about the many projects and events in the area, please visit our website or join us on Facebook to receive updates.

For more information or to enter the competition, please visit our website: www.surfridergrandstrand.org.

Sponsors of the Chilympics: Fisher Recycling, Spuds Waterfront Dining and New South Brewing Company.

Contact:  Bruxanne Hein of the  Grand Strand Surfrider Foundation via Email or call 843-333-2034.