January 8 was the occasion of the Third Annual Soup Cook-off held at the Forrest Career and Technology Center's state-of-the-art kitchen. The contest, open to the first 20 individuals or teams in each of the Junior and Senior divisions to sign up, welcomed over 30 contestants in all - in addition to the public - for an evening of cooking, tasting and dining. House soups were prepared by the Forrest Center's culinary arts student to allow those attending to make a meal of the event.

Cooking started at 3 p.m.. The public arrived at 5:30 p.m. and tasting and judging of the Junior division began at 6 p.m., immediately followed by Senior division tasting and judging. Winners were announced just after 7 p.m.

Junior competitors, their soup entries, and the winning results were:
-Marco Sawyer and Sam Cannon (Chicken Noodle Soup); Jennifer Dixon (Sausage & Corn Chowder); Nathan Slade (White Tail Soup); Ashawna Baker and Lovella Walker (Gram's Vegetable Beef); Matt Hale (Jambalaya) - First Place in the Other category; Andrew & Matthew Lachkovic (Potato and Leek); Chris Adams, David Deboe, Ray Blackiston (Sweet Potato Pear) - First Place in the Vegetarian category; Katie Russell (Sweet and Sour) - First Place in the Poultry category; Ariana Lockington and Heather Backstedt (Homestyle Vegetable Beef Soup); Lauren Cone and Jenna Hines (Red Pepper Soup); Maryann St. Clair (Jimmy Crab) - First Place in the Seafood category and winner of the Peoples' Choice Award; Nikki Wilson (Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Sausage & Wild Rice) - First Place winner in the Red Meat category; DeAnna Auth and Shannon Cummings (Potato Soup) - First Place in the Cream category; James Cawley (Bean Soup); Victoria Atkinson and Alexis Curran (Peaches & Cream); Samantha Brasel, Amanda Grant and Victoria Hamlet (Cold Cherry); and Calvert Thomas (Surf and Turf Chowder).

Senior competitors, their soup entries, and the winning results were:
Kathi Flynn (Creamy Potato); Kelly Dobson (Orzo Soup); Jerry & Connie Hanson (Cream of Crab); Brooke Matthews (Bisque) - First Place in the Seafood category; Marie Davis (Minestrone) - First Place in the Vegetarian category; E. B. Davis (Oyster Stew); Patti & John Lachkovic (Vegetable Beef); Liat Mackey ((Hearty Cabbage Soup); Michelle Jordahl (Kale Soup )- First Place in the Cream category and winner of the Peoples' Choice Award; Rhokey Milham (Stuffed Ham Soup) - First Place in the Red Meat category; Jeannie Tippett and Tammy Hardesty (Cream of Potato); Pat Osborne (Italian Sausage and Pepper Bread Soup) - First Place in the Other category; Joann Mckeown (Southwestern Roasted Chicken Corn Chowder) - First Place in the Poultry category; Ben Altimas (Bean Soup); Maria Reid (Cream of Crab); Antonio Washington (Smoked Seafood Chowder); and Kevin Sumler (Chicken and Wild Rice).

Expert chefs, local celebrities and community leader who judged this event were: Sally Brassfield, local gourmet chef and caterer and past First Place winner in the Crisfield, Md. Crab Cook-off and in the National Oyster Festival; St. Mary's County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Michael Martirano; Doug Mackey, Executive Chef at the Officers' Club at the Patuxent Naval Air Station; and St. Mary's County Commissioner Jackie Russell.

The evening was organized by Ron Grosche, director and chef of the Culinary Arts Program at the Tech Center, and by Culinary Arts Instructor Amanda Granados. All proceeds from this event were to benefit the Forrest Center's SkillsUSA student organization.