The WMVY Big Chili Contest drew more than 1,400 people to Oak Bluffs on Saturday, people who ate generously to raise more than $16,000 to help the Red Stocking Fund.

There was no help, however, for people who tried Hillbilly Chili’s aptly-named Super Hot Chili. “We’ve had three criers this year,” chef Steve Jordan from Edgartown remarked dryly, corn-cob pipe in hand. What goes into this scorching hot concoction? Sautéed habaneros, jalapenos, cayennes and serranos, explained Mr. Jordan, who, when not cooking, works at Jordan Insurance.

In this, the 23rd annual WMVY Big Chili Contest, a group of friends who call themselves Hillbilly Chili won the coveted category of Hottest Chili — as they have for the past 13 years straight.

Mr. Jordan’s hillbilly comrade Brian Athearn produced an amazing dish he called Elk Chili. As Mr. Athearn explained, he traveled all the way to Colorado, wrangled an elk with his bare hands, brought it back to the Vineyard, and made a tasty pot of Elk Chili that would make the finest chili cooks from the backwoods of western North Carolina jealous. I know this, because until Saturday I thought I was from chili country, being a native of North Carolina and all — but apparently the boundaries have expanded.

The Hillbillies won the prize — a chili tray — for best presentation and, for the first time ever, Mr. Athearn’s mix tied with the Sandwich Kiwanis Club’s dish for third place in the amateur category.

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Steve Jordon thrills after WMVY’s Bill Narkiewicz announces the prize for hottest chili. — Jaxon White

The event began around eleven in the morning, apparently the perfect time to brave the 26-degree day, wait in line for 20 minutes to be frisked for hot sauce and other spiking paraphernalia, grab a plastic spoon, crack open a frosty beer or a cold soda, and taste chili goodness from all over the Cape and Islands.

The spicy event, hosted by Mike Santoro and the Portuguese American Club, raises money for the Red Stocking Fund, a Vineyard organization devoted to helping local families not only at Christmas time as the name signifies, but also throughout the year. The contest draws support from many Vineyard businesses — not only WMVY radio but also Edgartown National Bank, Cape Air, Trader Fred’s, and The Vineyard Home Center. It attracted off-Island sponsorship, contestants and attendees, too. The contest — combined with a youth hockey tournament and some private parties — gave a welcome weekend bump to the economy, filling several local inns and crowding the ferries. Security officials at the contest estimated that attendance was well up from last year; maybe the colder winter stretch made hot chili even more appealing.

Lorraine Clark of the Red Stocking Fund raffled off two round-trip tickets to Boston on Cape Air, and two tickets to the upcoming Boston/Miami basketball game on March 18th. Ruth Metell, Patricia Costa and Kaye Manning of the P.A. Club’s Benevolent Fund also raffled off a 32-inch Sharp Aquos TV, sitting patiently throughout the event watching chili-tasters come and go.

But the real prize is the pride of the chili titles.

Second place in the amateur category went to the off-Island ladies in black, Doreen, Katie and Marla of Tres Amigas. In previous years they’ve taken home first, second and third place prizes, and were back for another year of fun, laughs and giving out beads.

Doreen lays down the rules: “Our recipe is secret, and you have to show us your chest to get beads. Do you know how many man-nipples we’ve had to see today? Oh my goodness. It’s all worth it, though.”

The Big Chili winner in the amateur category was contestant A-16, David Mutti ,and his Sure Bet Chili. Hints of bourbon, sweet peppers and caramel lingered in the aftertaste. Local chili connoisseur Annie Murphy said, “It’s the best here; it’s sweet. Like brown sugary sweet.”

The grand prize trophy, nearly three feet tall, was tiny compared to the bold taste of the Sure Bet Chili as its fans described it.

In the professional category, Quahaug Republic took home third place, narrowly nudged out by J.R. Brody’s of East Falmouth for second, while the West Falmouth Market won first place.

Leeside Pub took the prize for the best vegetarian chili back to Woods Hole for the second year in a row.

Once again winning the Is it Really Chili category were Mona Rosenthal and Megan Sokolowski’s Chili Brownies. Ms. Rosentahl said that they use chili powder and a bit of cayenne pepper to make the brownies. Their prize? A crock pot.

Jack Lavallette and the rest of the six cooks composing Dr. Jack’s Better Love Chili, won the prize — an adventure compass — for Most Traveled Chili, as they came from all over New England — as far as Glastonbury, Conn. — for the event.

Other local notables include Danielle Zerbonne and Kate Athearn’s Two Fillies’ Chili, which boasted Island pork and venison. “My husband shot the deer and raised the pig that’s in that chili,” Ms. Zerbonne said. Now that’s what you call a “taste of the Vineyard.”

A mariachi band — Ramón Ruiz, Chelelo Oros, Jose Luis, Sic Airos, Patrick Thomas and Tomas Halter — provided hours of traditional Mexican and Spanish songs, and even spiced things up a bit with some Santana and other rock tunes put to a Latin theme. After the awards ceremony, attendees helped polish off the last of the chili pots and danced the afternoon away to the Vineyard’s blues band, Johnny Hoy and the Bluefish.

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Diego Avansini, left, and Halia Arauso, presenting their entry. — Jaxon White

The Red Stocking needs money throughout the year, Ms. Clark said. “It takes a lot to help the families. One month last year we gave about $10,000, another month we gave $11,000. It just goes so fast. We help out about 250 parents and families. In the winter we buy coats, sweaters, boots, winter jackets, and all sorts of things. And the families we help are really grateful,” she added.

“Throughout the year people give money to the fund. Some people give five dollars, some give a thousand. We do other fund-raisers, but this one is by far the biggest.”