Court Cook-Off For a Cause

The District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri hosted a “Cook-off for a Cause” this month, a fund-raising event to benefit the victims of the recent Typhoon Haiyan. The court’s connection to the disaster is personal—a law clerk there is a first generation Filipino-American who has many close family members in the Philippines.

For a donation, cook-off participants entered their best chili, sampled the entries – along with a substantial dessert buffet – then voted for their favorite. The chili cook-off winner received bragging rights, and $1300 was raised. The money went to Habitat for Humanity International to help rebuild Filipino homes destroyed by the storm.

Said clerk of court Jim Woodward, “Community service is part of our public service mission here in the Eastern District of Missouri. This is just another example of how we demonstrate our commitment to those in need.”