November 9, 2009

  THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!  It is because of your support that the 5^th Annual Fred Murr Memorial Chili & Chocolate Cook-Off was a HUGE success!  Whether you were a donor, a volunteer, a chili maker, a chocolate maker, or a ‘voter’ we could not have done it without your help.

  The 2009 Chili Winner, with $228 in donations, is Michele Mitchell of Lexington, KY!  The 2009 Chocolate Winner, with $626 in donations, is Mary Jo Clark of Louisville, KY!  Congratulations to the winners!!  

  We are very excited to report that we surpassed our goal of doubling last year’s total of $3200!  The total amount raised for The Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research at the 2009 Fred Murr Memorial Chili & Chocolate Cook-Off is $6,900!!! 

 We were overwhelmed by the generosity of our friends, family and local establishments who helped make the silent auction a success!

Again, thank you for your participation in this fundraiser.  We are trying to make a difference in the amount of research that is done with pancreatic cancer.  Pancreatic cancer is the 4^th leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States, but less than 2% of the National Cancer Institute’s Federal research funding goes toward pancreatic cancer research.  The Lustgarten Foundation, with the support of Cablevision, is able to put 100% of your donations directly towards research and finding a cure.

We are looking forward to an even bigger event next year!  If you would like to be involved, please contact us at ChiliChocolateCookOff@gmail.com.    

 Sincerely,

Ben & Jessica Murr

Chris & Greta May

Welcome to the Fred Murr Memorial Chili & Chocolate Cook-Off!  

Fred "The Legend" Murr receives the Marconi Award

The History of the Cook-Off:

In 2004, Ben and I had just moved back to Louisville and we were anxious to have friends over for a party.  We decided on a Chili Cook-Off, but being the choco-holic that I am, I wanted to try to include chocolate somehow.  Thus, the Murr Chili & Chocolate Cook-Off was born.  The first year was a huge success, and Ben and I saw the potential to create a tradition with purpose. The next year it was a fundraiser and it went very well.  We weren’t tied to a charity, yet, so we divided funds between a few local charities.  Unfortunately, in 2006, a charity fell into our lap.

In December 2006, Ben’s Dad, Frederick Louis Murr, was diagnosed with pacreatic cancer.  We were all shocked and knew the outlook wasn’t great.  It was an easy decision to have all of the proceeds of the 2007 Cook-Off to go toward pancreatic cancer research.

Fred lost his battle with pancreatic cancer in April 2008, just weeks after holding his 4th grandchild and his namesake (our son), Louis Frederick Murr, aka Louie.  The 2008 Cook-Off was somber unlike previous years, but there was magic there that night (read about it under “The Legend“).  We officially re-named the Cook-Off.  It is now the Fred Murr Memorial Chili & Chocolate Cook-Off.

This year, we have decided that all of the money raised will go to the Lustgarten Foundation.  With Cablevision’s support of The Lustgarten Foundation, 100% of your donation will go directly to pancreatic cancer research.

Some Facts about Pancreatic Cancer:

•  It’s the most lethal cancer there is. Overall survival rate is 5%.

• 37,000 Americans were diagnosed last year. More than 34,000 died.

• No early test. Less than 20% of those diagnosed are eligible for surgery.

• No cure, unless the cancer is surgically removed in its earliest stages.

• Too little federal funding. Pancreatic cancer research constitutes less than 2% of the National Cancer Institute’s budget.