The Alabama River Chili Cookoff is only a few months away, and Selma-Dallas County Leadership Class XVIII is getting the final preparations underway for the sixth annual event.

The event, to be held March 16 from 4-8 p.m. on Water Avenue, will feature different teams preparing their best chili recipes for the judges and for the crowd.

“Everything is pretty much done; we’re just recruiting teams and waiting on the event,” said Ebony Rose, one of the chairs of the Chili Cookoff.

Each year, money raised from the cookoff is donated to an area charity or nonprofit group, and more than $48,000 has been awarded in all.

This year, the chosen charity is the Central Alabama Children’s Advocacy Center under the leadership of Lauri Cothran. The CAC provides forensic interviews for abused children in Bibb, Dallas, Hale, Perry and Wilcox counties.

“With everything that we’re going through in the world, we tend to forget about our future, and our future is our kids, the youth, and they come first regardless,” Rose said. “We have to keep our youth protected, we have to keep them motivated, we have to keep them with a clear mind so that they can make clear decisions.”

Rose said she is looking forward to the event and said it’s only possible because of her classmates.

“I’m just so thankful for these individuals that work with me. We work together and they started out as being strangers, they turned into friends and now they are my family,” Rose said.

Rose said she is thankful to the community for all of their support of the event.

“Our team is just very elated and thankful for the city of Selma and surrounding areas for the immaculate support that they have showed us throughout the last six years,” Rose said.

Tickets for the event are $5 at the door and there is a $50 entry fee per team. Contact Becky Glaze at (334) 875-2600 to register a team. The title sponsor for the cookoff is Moore Stewart Ford.