The United Way will host their annual chili cook-off fundraising event in Wilfrid Laurier’s concourse on Oct. 19 from 12 to 1 p.m.
While the event may have been compromised by the newly implemented rule of no cooked foods in the concourse, it has been tailored to meet the necessary health requirements.
Laurier’s food services will donate prepared chili to the event and participants are then invited to add their own store-bought seasonings and flavorings.
Director of student services Dan Dawson is adamant about continuing to host events despite the new rule.
“We’re very willing to work with each group to try and figure out a way to accomplish their objective,” said Dawson. “We’re going to do everything we can to be creative and try to come up with ways to make them work.”
Members of the Wilfrid Laurier University Students’ Union have begun by making distinctions between potentially hazardous and non-hazardous foods. Baked goods are considered non-hazardous, whereas potentially hazardous foods include meat and dairy-based products.
Where students previously included cooked food in their club events, Dawson proposes a partnership with established campus facilities such as Wilf’s, the Terrace and the dining hall.
“With the advice from the health inspector, we want to try and steer the production of food to a place that is part of the regular inspection routine where the standards are higher.”
Dawson has recently proposed a plan of action to the Wilfrid Laurier University Chinese Students Association (WLUCSA), a campus club that depends on selling cooked foods as a main source of fundraising. Dawson suggested a collaboration with food services where members of the WLUCSA will share their recipes with dining hall representatives.
“With the groups we’ve talked to so far, [we’re] getting them to really try to focus on [the] core objectives that [they’re] trying to achieve, and usually it’s about awareness and fundraising,” explained Dawson.
“Those are the two main things that keep coming up with these discussions. By just being a little bit creative we’re able to meet those main objectives and still offer authenticity.”
“People think that we’re taking something away and that’s not what we’re trying to do, were simply trying to make it work more efficiently and in a safe way.”
WLUSU and the food service management board are in the process of developing a healt
h policy that will be uniform across campus to be applied to Wilf’s, the Grad Pub and outdoor barbeques.
