 The Van Leer Historical Society is hosting its first fundraising event of the season with the 2024 Chili Cook-Off and Rook Tournament. The Cook-Off will be held March 2nd and awards will be given to the first, second and third place winners in the wild game and traditional chili categories. It's a 12th annual Chili Cook-Off. We have done it for 12 years and is our first fundraiser of the season. We usually try to open up around February and March and we have the Chili Cook-Off to get people in to this visit and eat and enjoy it. If they don't supply life, if they don't want to enter, then they can come and eat with us. You know, for seven dollars, have a good meal, peanut butter and jelly, grilled cheese and such as that and candy cakes. We have all kinds of stuff, so we just like to get the community out and invite everybody that would like to come. Make your ride one of a kind and see the experts at J&M Custom Auto and Off-Road. It's your customization candy store. Visit jmcustomauto.com and select your making model. It's that easy. Window tanning, remote starts, leather interiors, sound systems, front and rear bumpers, spray and bed liners, bed covers, wheels and tires, lift kits, step rails, even under glow light kits and so much more. If you can dream it, we can do it at J&M Custom. In addition to the Cook-Off, there will be chili dinner sold for seven dollars and a Rook Tournament. Last year, we added another element to it. Instead of just being a Cook-Off, we call it the Rook and Cook and so we wanted to add some entertainment. You know, this is our first event of the season and we really want to bring our community together as well as invite a lot of other people from the area of Eastern Kentucky to see what Van Leer is all about and all the things that we are able to do. So we'll have some music and we also have a Rook Tournament. You know, a lot of people in this area grew up playing Rook and so it's a $10 injury fee per team and the winning team takes half the proceeds. So we want to have as many teams as we can and just enjoy some fellowship and get to spend some time together after this long winter. Registration will be held from 3 to 4 p.m. March 2 at the museum. For more information, go to Van Leer Historical Society Coal Miners Museum on Facebook. Reporting for Mountaintop News, I'm Breanna Robinson.