Time to grip a chip, dive in to dip to assist health clinic
It’s time for the World Cheese Dip Championship, the ultimate chips-and-dips party starring melted cheese concoctions of every shade, flavor and consistency, all set to be ladled and then scooped up by 10,000 bags of crispy chips.
This is the seventh year for this Harmony Health Clinic fundraiser, and clinic executive director Justin Wise says there will be a few changes, like a move back to the Clinton Presidential Center, but on the whole, “If it ain’t broken, don’t fix it.”
That means the procedure will be much the same as in years past. Visitors will enter the gates at the center’s big parking lot and make their way from booth to booth, collecting cheesy samples and chips and listening to music by Donnie Strickland.
While the professional division roster generally stays the same, including Baja Grill, Stoby’s, Tacos 4 Life and Heifer International, the amateur division has grown by leaps and bounds. Wise says the number of entries has doubled last year’s, so competition for awards like the Big and Little Dipper and People’s Choice should be fierce.
All attendees will vote for their favorites with wooden chips. Miss Arkansas Maggie Benton will be a celebrity judge.
Since contestants are encouraged to decorate their booths and everyone in attendance is invited to dress in costume, the whole party should have a Halloween-theme vibe.
Wise says, “It’s been a foodie event and it still is a foodie event.”
But, they’re stepping up their fundraising efforts by zooming in on Harmony Health Clinic, with additional videos and literature being made available throughout the event.
While dips, chips and the first two votes are included in the ticket price, beverages (including soft drinks, alcoholic beverages and Kona Ice) will be for sale. Also, there will be muffin tins for easier sample collecting available for $2 and extra voting chips will be $2 each.
“We’re just trying to maximize the fundraising for the clinic,” Wise says. “Cheese Dip is literally a ‘keeping the lights on,’ mission-focused fundraiser for Harmony Health Clinic.”
The clinic, at 201 E. Roosevelt Road, Little Rock, is a free clinic providing primary health and dental care for uninsured Arkansans.
If anyone is curious about what the clinic really does and wants to see firsthand, Wise says, “Our doors are always open here at Harmony. We’d love for them to come and see where their money goes.”
Wise also recommends that everyone buy their tickets in advance. While they don’t want to turn anyone away, for safety reasons, they are limited in the number of people who can be allowed in.
Also, early ticket purchases, even for people who aren’t sure they can make it, will help out.
“That’s still $10” that helps the mission at Harmony Health Clinic, he says.