MEET THE 19TH ANNUAL GUMBO COOK-OFF RECIPIENT
Eleven-month-old Ezekiel Whipp was selected as the beneficiary for The 19th Annual Gumbo Cook-Off, scheduled for Saturday, January 25th, 2025. Ezekiel is the son of Kaylee and Logan Whipp from Opelousas, Louisiana, and has two sisters, Annalise and Aliza. His grandparents are Donald & Carol Beard and Troy & Lisa Whipp. Ezekiel was diagnosed shortly after birth with the rare disorder Non-ketotic Hyperglycinemia (NKH), as well as Epilepsy and Spastic Quadriplegic (SQ) Cerebral Palsy not long after. He has a team of providers treating him at Children’s Hospital New Orleans and Children's Hospital Specialty Care Lafayette with many specialists, including primary care, neurologist, geneticist, physiatrist, orthopedist, and gastroenterologist. In addition to his medical care, Ezekiel’s daily care requires multiple modalities and equipment like therapeutics diets, stimulation toys, home therapy items, supportive seating & positioning devices, and specially designed strollers for mobility. Please join us in showing Ezekiel and his family all the love and support The Gumbo Foundation supporters and our community has to offer.
“As always, much love, many thanks, and God Bless!”
#TheGumboCookOff #TheGumboFoundation #EzekielStrong #TeamZeke
GUMBO COOK-OFF OFFICIAL RULES
Rule #1
All teams must be registered by 10:00AM. Samples will be collected for judging at 1:30PM.
Rule #2
Only 1 gumbo entry per team registration is allowed. Gumbo must be cooked on site.
Rule #3.
The gumbo must be primarily poultry & sausage and must not contain any seafood. Other ingredients may be used such as tasso, turkey necks, etc. However, the judges’ samples must consist of juice and meat only, no rice.
Rule #4
Two pint containers will be provided for samples to be judged. Each must be filled ¾ with juice and meat, as intended for judging. Samples MUST be given in the containers provided by judges only! No exceptions. Samples given in any other containers/bowls will not be judged.
Rule #5
Each gumbo will be judged on: Appearance, Flavor, Meat (seasoning/tenderness), and Overall.
Rule #6
First, Second, and Third places will be awarded for each category and the Battle for the Paddle award will be presented to the best overall gumbo.
Rule #7
Cooking teams must provide all necessary cooking utensils, tables, pots, burner, fuel, and any other items needed to complete the gumbo. Ice Chests allowed only for items necessary for cooking. A small, roof-only tent (10 x 10) is recommended. No trailers or food trucks.
Rule #8
Teams are permitted to cook more than required for judging and offer public sampling for donation. Public samples must not be offered, prior to dish submission for official judging. Teams are to provide containers and utensils for public sampling. Donations are to be turned in at the sales tent, where tickets and merchandise are sold.
For questions or more info, please call:
Jason at (337)331-2837, Tim at (337) 658-1108, or Crystal at (337) 308-1173, or email gumbofoundation@outlook.com.
