Chili Open Golf Classic will be Feb. 1

Plans are under way for the annual Chili Open Golf Classic fundraiser Saturday, Feb. 1 at the Sussex County Fairgrounds, 37 Plains Road, Augusta.

Proceeds will benefit Project Give Shelter, a Project Self-Sufficiency initiative to help Sussex County residents who need emergency temporary shelter or stable housing.

Funds raised from the event in 2024 were used to provide more than 1,156 nights of shelter and to help 147 local families, including 202 adults and 156 children, avoid homelessness.

“Success in becoming self-sufficient is built on a stable foundation of secure and safe housing,” said Deborah Berry-Toon, Project Self-Sufficiency’s executive director.

“It’s difficult to find a job, hold a job, get an education or receive training when you don’t know where you’re going to sleep at night or you must constantly relocate.”

Funds from the Chili Open will provide emergency shelter, security deposits, rent and utility payments as necessary and appropriate, Berry-Toon said.

The agency’s Project Give Shelter initiative is part of a longer-range effort to fight homelessness and is designed to aid both renters and landlords.

“Project Self-Sufficiency has comprehensive wrap-around programs and the staff to coordinate our efforts with other community providers to assure families and children are not left out in the cold,” Berry-Toon said.

The Chili Open Golf Classic has been played on a makeshift course at fairgrounds for more than 20 years. Golfers play a scramble format of two of the four nine-hole, par-three courses before heading indoors for lunch featuring a variety of fare donated by area restaurants, including a selection of chili.

Music will be provided by R.E.N.O. the Band and there will be a putting contest, beverages, raffles and a 50/50 drawing.

Rotary Clubs in Branchville, Newton and Wallkill partner with Project Self-Sufficiency to organize and serve breakfast and lunch, staff a cash bar, and provide souvenir photos of the golfers among other event assistance.

“Many golfers have been attending the Chili Open for years,” said Bruce Tomlinson, Project Self-Sufficiency’s development director and a longtime Chili Open participant. “In some ways, the Chili Open is like an annual community family reunion.”

The Chili Open has been played in a wide variety of conditions, from below-zero wind chill to relatively moderate temperatures. In some years, snow was plowed from the makeshift fairways and the golf cups were filled with ice.

“Golfers of all skill levels have a great time regardless of the weather,” Tomlinson said. “But they do seem to like the challenge of less-than-ideal conditions.”

Sponsors and golfers are needed and welcome.

Registration details and sponsorship opportunities may be found on the Project Self-Sufficiency website at projectselfsufficiency.org/chili-open