Does anyone in your club or company love to cook? Do you have a secret jambalaya recipe? Do your backyard buddies love to gather over a hot grill? If you answered yes to any of these questions, please read on.

The United Way of the Greater Miss-Lou is now registering cooking teams for the fourth annual jambalaya cook-off.

It will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Aug. 21 at the Natchez Convention Center. The jambalaya cook-off is the kick-off event for the United Way campaign fundraising season. This year’s decorating theme, “Broadway, A Community Production,” opens up Broadway musicals and plays, past and present, as possibilities. Prizes are awarded to the cooking team and United Way agency whose booths best represent the theme.

First Natchez Radio Group is providing major support for this year’s event and will be broadcasting live from the Convention Center. Cooking teams who register early will be featured in radio promos in the weeks leading up to the event. Have fun, help out a good cause, and get some free publicity — what a win, win for all!

Every year the event has been a huge success. The pressure is on to make it even bigger and better this year. It is a toss up as to who has more fun — the cooking teams or the folks who eat the jambalaya. Competition is stiff and a few teams are already bragging about their secret ingredients.

The Natchez Senior Center emerged the winner last year, and Sabrena Bartley has already tossed out the challenge that they intend to win again! Teams compete for the honor of taking home the jambalaya-cooking trophy and earn bragging rights for the year.

Each team provides the ingredients for jambalaya for 100-people plus plates and serving utensils. All cooking must be done the morning of the event. The public will be invited for $4 a plate. Soft drinks will be provided.

United Way agencies will have informational booths and companies who have started their workplace campaigns will be recognized. Gather up your star cooks and pull out those secret recipes. Come cook, have some fun and support a great cause — caring for the community you live in.

First Natchez Radio Group is sponsoring an informational breakfast for cooking team captains. Please call the United Way Office at 601-442-1081 or e-mail mabow2222@aol.com for further information or to enter your team.

Maria Bowser is the United Way communications chair.