Institute on Aging Reaps Chili Cook-Off Reward
| May 28, 2015 | The generosity of a multitude of Arkansas chili eaters has yielded much-needed proceeds for Alzheimer’s research at the UAMS Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging.
Griffin and Parcon explain Alzheimer’s research taking place at the Reynolds Institute.
Cory Scott, a founder of the annual Chilirhea cook-off, and his wife, Amber Scott, the 2015 assistant director, visited the institute May 15 and presented institute director Jeanne Wei, M.D., Ph.D., with a check for $10,165.
“We wanted to support research being done in Arkansas, and there is none better than UAMS,” Cory Scott said. “The Reynolds Institute is world-renowned, and with all the positive things going on there, it was an easy decision to support its mission.”
The event began in 2006 as a small gathering of friends in the Scotts’ backyard. It soon outgrew that venue and now hundreds of chili lovers are hosted at the Fayetteville Town Center. Since it became a charity event in 2010, Chilirhea has raised more than $175,000 to support Alzheimer’s caregivers and research.
This year’s event, held in February, drew more than 800 people and raised more than $70,000. The success of the event can be attributed to its board members, the citizens of Arkansas, and a cause to help a disease that affects thousands throughout the state.
“We were delighted by the generosity of the Scotts to help in our fight to stop Alzheimer’s,” said Wei. “This gift will help us update our existing research equipment and acquire state-of-the-art tools needed by our team.”
This was the first year Chilirhea has donated money to support Alzheimer’s research, previously focusing solely on caregiver support. Cory Scott said the decision to donate to the Reynolds Institute was a unanimous choice by the event’s 12-member board.
After presenting the check, the Scotts toured the Reynolds Institute and said they were delighted to be able to see the research their donation would support.
“They really rolled out the red carpet for us,” Scott said. “We felt overwhelmed with gratitude by them bringing us in and showing us what they’re doing. To know what our donation is supporting makes it so much easier to foster support in the future.”
The Reynolds Institute has five laboratories dedicated to Alzheimer’s research where 24 faculty, postdoctoral fellows, students and technicians work daily. The research team is directed by Sue T. Griffin, Ph. D., and Steve W. Barger, Ph.D.
For more information on Chilirhea, visit Chilirhea.net.