"This is a student-led initiative that speaks to the character of our students," said Dr. John Marymont, vice president for medical affairs and dean of the USA College of Medicine. "They came together to support an important cause at the College of Medicine - the Regan Robinson Young Scholarship - and the event was a huge success. It was an honor to take part in such a meaningful event."
The teams' gumbo and chili were judged on taste, aroma, consistency, aftertaste and originality. All categories, with the exception of the People's Choice Award, were judged by USA President Dr. Tony Waldrop, USA Dean of Students Dr. Michael Mitchell, USA Pediatric Gastroenterologist Dr. Daniel Preud'homme, and Ariel McSwain from iHeartRadio.
Winners of this year's event were:
Best Overall
Pallet Pleasing Hayseeds
Best Gumbo
The Gumbologists
Best Chili
How'd It Get Burnt
People's Choice
Pallet Pleasing Hayseeds
Second Place Gumbo
The Great Gumbinos
Second Place Chili
Kappa Sigma Fraternity
The Gumbo Chili Showdown supports a scholarship at the USA College of Medicine created in memory of Regan Robinson, a medical student at USA who lost her battle with colon cancer before graduating. The scholarship provides assistance to a rising senior medical student who embodies Regan's spirit and character. This year the event raised more than $8,000 for the Regan Robinson Young Scholarship.
"This year's event went spectacularly," said USA medical student and event organizer Vikash Pernenkil. "We raised plenty of money for the scholarship and had a great turnout. This event is a huge team effort, and we'd like to thank all of our committee members, volunteers and sponsors. Without them, none of this would be possible."
View more photos from the event here. Local news coverage of the event can be found here.
