Chills, Grills and Thrills!

What is June in Calgary without a little rain??
As a native Calgarian I wasn’t completely surprised by the gloomy day that was on hand for our Thrill of the Grill kickoff at the Olympic Plaza site in downtown Calgary. Geoffrey and I, now accustomed to rainy Cruiser events, donned our warm Cruiser fleeces and our well-worn raincoats. Along with the many, many volunteers from the three Calgary Delta locations, we were prepared for whatever the skies would bring.

Now Calgary is my hometown, so when I say that this was by far the best event, I am completely biased!! However it was fantastic! Spirits were high when Geoffrey and I arrived to find the site organized with multiple grills set to thrill and a fantastic stage area for the Iron Chef competition; and what a competition it was! Thanks to the good humor of the three Calgary Delta hotels Executive Chefs and some local celebrity antics assisting them, an entertaining show was on display for all those charitable patrons purchasing a yummy lunch.

After a 45-minute preparation period, in which the two special ingredients of Bison (a local delicacy!) and pineapple (less local!) were to be incorporated into the meals, the three teams were ready to WOW the judging panel, which was comprised of three local media personalities and a representative from Habitat for Humanity Calgary. While it was evident that the judges were thoroughly impressed with each of the meals, not surprisingly (to me) the Delta Calgary Airport pulled out a win and proudly hoisted this years Thrill of the Grill trophy (Way to go Chef John!!). After the newly crowned Iron Chefs posed for pictures with their impressive trophies and made a sentimental acceptance speech (which included a huge thank you to Gary Coleman!) the event swiftly came to a close.

Despite the rain and the chill, this years Thrill of the Grill kick-off was a success, as it brought out a number of media outlets to recognize and communicate our fundraising efforts to the fine citizens of Calgary. While neither Geoffrey nor I were interviewed, we did have an opportunity to speak about the tour during a “commercial break” during the Iron Chef competition. It has become a lot less nerve wracking speaking in front of large groups of people. I really enjoy being able to share all of the amazing events that I have participated in and the amount of good we have done for so many communities. This time it was nice to be home and to contribute some goodness alongside my Calgary family.

Now in true Calgarian fashion, I should be dreading our upcoming trip to Edmonton. However, I’m not. I am intrigued by their “Homeless for a Night” event and what it will entail. While I know in the depths of my being that the Stampeders and the Flames FAR out-rank the Eskimos and the Oilers, I somewhat suspect that they may have a pretty cool event awaiting us. Time will tell…