A savory mix of chowder, chili, and community spirit filled La Conner Elementary SchoolSaturday as the town gathered for the first La Conner Firefighters Association Chowder & Chili Cookoff. The event was part of a fundraising campaign for a new fire and rescue vessel to protect the town’s historic waterfront and marinas.
The $366,923 project, approved by the Town Council in December, includes $163,500 in funding already committed, with additional support pledged by the Port of Skagit and other local stakeholders.
The cook-off organizers sought to raise $30,000 to support upgrading the new fireboat, including engine and radar enhancements and features like dual monitors, an enclosed cab, and improved water rescue capabilities. Full Time Fabrications in Sedro-Woolley will begin building the boat in February.
“There’s a lot more this boat is capable of than all the other boats that are around, and that’s one of the things we really went after,” said La Conner Fire Chief Aaron Reinstra. “The entire area is in need of such a boat.”
Reinstra is hopeful the boat will be in the water and operational by this summer.
La Conner Firefighters Association President Hayden Schmidt was thrilled with the community turnout at the cook-off. “It’s fantastic!” he said, giving credit to the hard work of the association members.
More than a dozen local restaurants participated, offering enticing dishes like the carne en su jugo from Santo Coyote Mexican Kitchen, which won best chili. The La Conner Firefighters Association won for the best chowder.
The new boat will replace the Town’s previous fire and rescue vessel which was decommissioned more than a decade ago. According to an article published by Skagit Valley Herald, the former Seattle fireboat Alki was sold and removed from the La Conner marina in July 2014.
While the final numbers aren’t in yet, La Conner Fire Department Chief Aaron Reinstra believes more than 300 people attended the event and brought in a little over $10,000.
“I enjoyed seeing the community just that happy,” Reinstra said. “They didn’t mind waiting in a line. They got to just sit around and gossip and talk with everybody and got to talk with us.”
Several firefighters helped serve chowder and chili while a raffle by nonprofit La Conner Thrive added to the event’s community-driven atmosphere. As Schmidt noted, the cook-off proved that La Conner’s small town can rally big support for an essential cause.
The La Conner Firefighters’ Association accepts donations online through their website https://www.laconnerfirefightersassociation.org. Or donate in person at the La Conner Fire Department station or WaFd bank in La Conner.
