Oct. 21—ELWOOD — As the smell of simmering chili wafted through the crisp morning air, hundreds of people gathered along B Street Saturday to participate in the 13th annual Run to Crush Hunger.
The event included 5K and 10K runs/walks and a more leisurely one-mile walk.
Turner Daugherty traveled from Indianapolis after hearing about the race online.
“I was looking at (a list of) races and this seemed like a cool event,” he said. “I wanted to see what it was all about.”
Race is a means through which Daugherty explores Indiana. He said he participates in at least one race per weekend during the summer and every other weekend during other seasons.
He had never been to Elwood before Saturday.
He said he was also enthusiastic about supporting the cause of hunger relief.
“I think it’s great that the community came out to an event like this,” he said. “It’s a great event compared to other races. It’s quite big.”
A chili cook-off followed the race, with proceeds from both events going toward reducing food insecurity in Elwood and elsewhere in Indiana.
More than 15 participants competed in chilis of varying heat levels and flavors. The Harrison, a restaurant located at the Alex Golf Club in Alexandria, presented a smoky chipotle-style chili topped with sour cream and cheese, while members of the Elwood Fire Department took a more meat-centric approach.
This was the 36th year of the cooking competition, according to Colt Reichart, whose family owns Red Gold, a sponsor of the event along with the Elwood Chamber of Commerce.
Reichart said he was six years old when the event started. He remembers selling shirts with his brother Beau and cousin AJ. He said he enjoys the way it brings the community together.
The event is also a celebration of the local industry, with Elwood being home to Red Gold, an international manufacturer of tomato-based products.
“Tomatoes have been a big part of Indiana for at least a century,” Reichart said. “It’s special here because we’re the last man standing, the last company in Indiana producing tomatoes.”
That wasn’t always the case, not even locally. According to Nancy Sumner, president of the Elwood Heritage Center and Museum, Red Gold had more than a dozen local competitors in the 1940s.
“In 1944 we had a POW camp here and the POWs, mostly Germans, came here and picked our tomato fields,” she said.
Tomatoes haven’t been Elwood’s only notable industry. The city was once home to a steel mill known as Tin Plate, the namesake of a popular restaurant on J Street.
The mill was a fixture during the gas boom of the late 19th century and attracted a number of Welsh immigrants. Elwood still has numerous families with Welsh roots, Sumner said.
Follow Caleb Amick on Twitter @AmickCaleb. Contact him at caleb.amick@heraldbulletin.com or 765-648-4254.
