FCA cook-off supports service

ALANNA WOLF-ARMSTRONG Staff Writer
Katey Fletchall, supervisor of Fellowship of Christian Athletes in the Jefferson C-123 School District, said that her group of students strives to embody the values of Christ, both on and off the athletic field.

Fellowship of Christian Athletes in the Jefferson C-123 School District is using the holiday season to reach outside their group to impact its community.

The faith-based organization has members from grades seven through 12 and brings Christian athletes together so they can encourage each other to do their best both in academics and in athletics.

“The goal of the group is to influence people for Jesus Christ through the avenue of sports,” said the group’s advisor Katey Fletchall, a paraprofessional at Jefferson.

In addition to sports and academics, the group also focuses on community matters.

The FCA in Jefferson has adopted a local family for the holidays, and the students have worked to ensure that the family has gifts and a meal for Christmas. The group has also donated funds to The Source Medical Clinic, a nonprofit pregnancy crisis center in Maryville.

“It’s important for the kids to learn about service and giving back to the community,” Fletchall said. “That’s why we encourage the kids participating in activities like that.”

In order to fund its holiday giving endeavors, FCA will be hosting a chili cook-off at 4:30 p.m. Dec. 17 in the multipurpose room in Jefferson High School, located at 37614 US-136 in Conception Junction. The event will be open to the community. For $5, attendees can try all the types of chili.

“This is our main fundraiser for the year,” said Fletchall. “And it’s what allows us to fund everything we do during the year, so we invite everyone to come out an enjoy a good meal and support a good group and some good causes.”

Fletchall said every class at Jefferson Elementary School has the opportunity to enter a pot of chili in the cook-off. If a class decides to enter, it will need to vote on a recipe to use. Once the recipe has been decided and submitted, Fletchall will provide the meat and cook it for the students, but they will be responsible for obtaining the remaining ingredients for their chili.

On the day of the cook-off, classes will gather to assemble their pots of chili and prepare for the cook-off. They will be judged by community members as they taste and vote on the chili varieties.

In addition to the chili, there will be a large selection of desserts for attendees as well.