High Energy at 14th Jerry Adams Chili Cook-Off

The energy level was high Saturday, November 7, as supporters packed the Esplanade for the 14th annual Jerry Adams Chili Cook-Off.

“This is the kickoff of the Marco Island season,” said Dianna Dohm, president of the Fire Rescue Foundation, as attendees excitedly went from tent to tent sampling chili from 18 different chefs.

Dohm is especially proud of the local flavor of the cook-off.

“This event is so important,” she said. “We have a local band with Florida Straits, our local Police and Fire. We have local chefs that came out to support us, and we have our community. So this is truly a quintessential Marco Island community event. That’s what this is all about, helping our first responders when they need it. They’re always there for us. Now we are there for them.”

Dohm estimated the crowd at between 750 and 800 attendees.

“That’s a lot of people for this one little area,” she said. “We have private people, we have businesses, the Hilton, Hideaway, so even all of our big businesses on the island come out to support this. Knights of Columbus. The churches. It’s amazing. Our hearts are so full to have these people come out and support us.”

Prior to the awards ceremony, former fire chief Mike Murphy educated the crowd about the event’s namesake.

“So many people ask, ‘Who is Jerry Adams?’” Murphy said. “Jerry Adams was a driver engineer. He was around 60 years old. He would put on all of the fire gear, summer, winter, anytime, and you’d see him jogging around City Hall wearing an air pack. He was an example for all the young firefighters.”

Murphy then joked about Adams’ alter ego.

“Jerry Adams had another side,” Murphy said. “He cooked chili and it was the most famous chili on the island. He cooked it for the fire department, the Taste of Marco and a lot of events. But the Jerry we knew was a grumpy old man at the fire station. He just was. He’d yell at you, ‘Get out of my kitchen. Leave me alone.’ On the truck he was the same way. But he ran a good truck. He was a good driver.”

Then Murphy turned somber.

“And then Jerry developed cancer. Whatever we could do while he was undergoing his treatments, we helped him out. And believe it or not, Jerry beat the cancer. He actually came back to work and started on the fire trucks again, going into fires. About a year later, Jerry got sick again and the department rallied around him. That’s where the foundation came in. The foundation helped him and his family. We’ve lost two other firefighters to cancer. But I have to tell you, thank you for your support. This does so much good. It’s the best community event on the island.”

Nancy Clark started the awards ceremony off on the right foot when she promptly donated her $700 50/50 raffle winnings back to the Fire Foundation.