Park Rapids (Minn.) Enterprise Ad Director Candy Parks (left) and Publisher Rory Palm pose for a photo during the newspaper's third annual Chili Challenge at the Park Rapids Legion Club. Photo courtesy of the Park Rapids Enterprise

PARK RAPIDS, Minn. – The Park Rapids (Minn.) Enterprise-sponsored Chili Challenge is among winners of the 2012 Minnesota FoodShare March Campaign Awards. The third annual event raised more than $8,150, and included 21 individuals and groups volunteering time and talent to raise funds for the Hubbard County Food Shelf. Food shelf director Dave Long nominated the Chili Challenge for the award.

The newspaper-sponsored Chili Challenge has become Park Rapids’ official kick-off to the March drive, but the effort involves many who donate time, their talent or help sponsor the event. The Park Rapids Legion Club was once again the site of the two-hour event.

Thirteen individuals, schools, churches and organizations across the state have been invited to a celebration luncheon April 23 in Brooklyn Park, Minn., to receive a Minnesota FoodShare award. Statewide, this year’s March campaign was the most successful in the organization’s 30-year history, according to Sara Nelson-Pallmeyer of Minnesota FoodShare.

The Park Rapids Enterprise is owned by Forum Communications Co., a multimedia information company based in Fargo, N.D. Forum Communications owns dozens of newspapers, websites and television and radio stations in North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Contestants in the Park Rapids Enterprise's third annual Chili Challenge are line up, ready to serve the judges. Photo courtesy of the Park Rapids Enterprise