History of the "Best Cheeseburger in Paradise"
Sitting around somewhere between the Port of Indecision and Southwest of Disorder, there came an idea….
How can we help our community and have fun at the same time? Can it involve great music, food, drinks and interesting people? Yes it can!
And so, the "Best Cheeseburger in Paradise" was created to raise money and awareness for the Northern Illinois Food Bank and the hungry neighbors it serves. It was amazing to us that over 37,000 people each week get served by the NIFB…yes, every week! The idea was to have a grill-off, letting contestants test their best recipes against each other to win the Best Cheeseburger in Paradise" award!
And so, we made phone calls, sent letters, begged, traded and called some more to finally bring together the 1st Annual "Best Cheeseburger in Paradise"! . The event raised money and, more importantly, awareness for the Northern Illinois Food Bank. The cook-off not only led to a partnership between the NIFB and the Rock River Raptors, but created new alliances and partners against hunger throughout the 13 county area!!
And now, the 3rd Annual "Best Cheeseburger in Paradise" will be held on Saturday, August 9th at Forest Hills Lanes. We have taken advice and suggestions and enhanced the event to include a separate prep area for the grillers and a "Best Margarita in Paradise" contest, sponsored by Sauza Tequila!
We would like to thank the
sponsors, especially Hayes Distributing who has never hesitated to help. Another
big thank you to the volunteers, who donate their time and energy to the event.
And of course, thanks to the contestants, who will continue their quest
to create the "Best Cheeseburger in Paradise"!