By Blake Deshazo

The Selma Times-Journal

The 4th Annual Alabama River Chili Cook-off is coming up in March, but the event is about more than just a cooking competition. It’s also about giving back to local charities that make Selma and Dallas County a better place.

Each year, the Leadership Class XVIII chooses a charity to donate the proceeds of the cook-off to. This year the class selected the Selma and Blackbelt Regional Abuse Sanctuary, also known as SABRA.

The sanctuary provides a safe haven for victims of domestic violence.

“They do a lot for abused women and children in Dallas County and other surrounding areas,” said Leslie Free, co-chairman of the Alabama River Chili Cook-off.“I just feel like this is a great charity to benefit. They really need the extra donations every year, and we just felt that SABRA was well deserved [to be chosen].”

Over the past three years, the cook-off has generated enough money to donate more than $20,000 to local charities, and this year Class XVIII wants to carry on the tradition of helping local organizations.

“You need to give back to your own community first before you give back to others because there is a lot of people in your own community that need help,” Free said. “So it is just important to keep as much [money] local as we can.”

When SABRA’s executive director, Nancy Travis, heard the news the sanctuary was chosen as the cook-off’s charity, she was ecstatic.

“I was very excited,” Travis said. “I’ve been wanting to do the charity for a couple of years, and I was glad that they chose us.”

SABRA could always use the donations, Travis said, but this year they will need them even more than previous years.

The sanctuary has taken on a bigger challenge this year because Harriet’s House in Demopolis closed. In addition to serving Dallas, Perry and Wilcox counties, SABRA now serves Greene, Sumter and Marengo counties.

“We’ve got six counties now that we’re trying to help victims of domestic violence in,” Travis said.

“We also go in and do talks to civic clubs, organizations and schools with prevention education, so this money will help us be able to continue these programs in these counties.”

The money, Travis said, SABRA gets from the cook-off will be used to help the sanctuary print new brochures now that they are serving three new counties.

“The money that we get from the chili cook-off and other special events will help us print these brochures,” Travis said. “It will also help us get them out to all of the counties so victims will know where to call and where to get help.”

Travis said SABRA Sanctuary is ready to get to work on making the 4th annual cook-off even bigger than year’s past.

The cook-off will be held Thursday, March 12 from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m. on Water Avenue.