Washington Multi-Family Housing Association (WMFHA) annually brings together 500 people, raffle prizes, chili contests, celebrity judges, trick-or-treating, Seattle Seahawks spirit and more. It's none other than the Chili Cook-Off Charity Event held the saturday before Halloween each year.

The event benefiting the Domestic Abuse Women's Network (DAWN) was hosted for the thirteenth time in 2019. What started as a small event in 2005 in the back of a CORT Furniture warehouse, raising just a couple thousand dollars, has blossomed into a huge day for family fun. Many people in the industry and community look forward to it every year.

"It brings every walk of life together. Whoever, they are all there! There are children at the event that are adding their coins together and putting them in baggies to help lift the fundraising number and bring in more support," says Cheryl Kilodavis, former Executive Director of DAWN.

Thanks to hundreds of large and small donors, in 2019 WMFHA and its members raised $56,566 for DAWN. Members raised the bar by 20 percent from the year before and greatly surpassed the goal of $50,000. In the 13 years of the event, the association has donated more than $251,000 to DAWN. 

WMFHA members also love the Chili Cook-Off event because they feel great about giving back and having fun doing so. Everyone takes the competition very seriously, with themes for their booth decorations and costumes, activities for the kids, and creative an spicy chili.