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10/04/2017 08:30 AMChairing the Shoreline Chamber of Commerce (SCC) Chowder Challenge with a Cause for the first time has been anything but a challenge for Tina Cusmano. Thanks to winning ingredients—including large dollops of help and enthusiasm from dedicated Chamber staff and volunteers and awesome participating charities, businesses, and restaurants—she’s excited to help serve up the fourth annual challenge on Saturday, Oct. 14.
“There’s a great team of people at the chamber who have done it before, who have helped guide me through all this, so it’s been fairly seamless,” says Tina, a Guilford resident with a Branford business. “It wasn’t like I was creating the wheel! It was more like just filling in the blanks.”
Tina also sends kudos and best wishes to her exiting co-chair, former SCC executive director Ed Lazarus. The chamber’s leader of 10 years, Lazarus announced last month that he would be heading off to start a new chapter and stepped down from the post on Oct. 4.
“It’s been great working with him and with Michele [Call] at the chamber,” says Tina. “I got involved after I volunteered to be on the committee for the Branford Chili Challenge in May, and I had such a great time, I offered to help with the Chowder Challenge. It’s been great working with everybody and getting the community involved.”
The fourth annual SCC Chowder Challenge for a Cause will splash down at mix of 10 restaurants, shops, and business fronts around the Guilford Green on Oct. 14, from noon to 3 p.m. At each restaurant or business host site, local chefs from Guilford and Branford will serve up chowder on behalf of one of 10 local charities. At 3:30 p.m., a special reveal event will tally up the day’s votes for Best Overall Chowder, Best New England Clam Chowder, and Most Unique Chowder. The winning chef of Best Overall earns SCC’s traveling Golden Ladle Trophy (and bragging rights for a year). The lucky charity connected to the day’s star chef earns a $500 donation from SCC.
For a $10 ticket, anyone can become a Chowder Judge. This year, the judges will be tasting all types of chowders—clam-based or otherwise—concocted by some of the shoreline’s best chefs. You don’t even have to bring your own spoon, says Tina.
“Everyone who registers online or buys their ticket that day will start out on the Green at our tent. You’ll get a bag with a map with all of the sites on it, ballots, a pen, your water, and your spoon, so you’ll be all set to go,” says Tina.
Judges will stop at sites on Whitfield Street, Water Street, Boston Street, and in the rear Whitfield Street shops. Completed ballots will be dropped off at one of two ballot boxes in the vicinity.
“I think all of the participating businesses will be thrilled to see people coming in,” says Tina. “And the charities are like our chowder cheerleaders! They come out and help drum up support for the Chowder Challenge so they can win money to help support their charity.”
Tina’s hoping for a beautiful fall day in Guilford, with just a hint of chill in the air, but is also simply excited for Chowder Challenge day to arrive, come rain or shine.
“It’s such a good event for families and it just gets people out and about,” says Tina. “All of the [downtown storefront] windows are painted for Halloween and there’s also the [inaugural] Guilford Performing Arts Festival going on that same weekend, so there will be events going on all over the Green—why not walk around, enjoy some of that, and have some chowder?”
The Chowder Challenge’s presenting sponsor is Guilford Savings Bank and the SCC is also using the event to partner with the Guilford Food Bank to collect items for its Fall Food Drive. Anyone who drops off a nonperishable item for the food bank will receive a free raffle ticket to win a $50 Guilford Dollars SCC gift certificate.
An area stylist for nearly 30 years, Tina started her own business about 10 months ago and knew joining SCC would provide instant, potent support for her small business, Canvas Hair Studio, a chair rental within Beau Studio of Branford.
“I had already been involved with the chamber on behalf of other companies,” says Tina. “The first thing I did was Dancing with the Stars, on behalf of Vincent Palumbo [Salon] and Golden State Tans. This year, I’m doing Dancing with the Stars in November for my own company, so that’s kind of fun.”
As a SCC member, Tina says, “the chamber is a wonderful source of marketing. Once you join the Chamber, you pay a nominal fee for the year and you have ability to sign up for all sorts of marketing events. They offer a website and email blasts and all sorts of tools available to you that you may not have the financial means to offer as a small business owner. So I’m going to keep up my membership, because its only done good things.”
A Guilford native (Guilford High School Class of ‘87), Tina and her husband, Carmen, found a home about a half-mile away from where she grew up. She’s loved raising her children here and sending them through the same schools she attended, and is thrilled to be volunteering on behalf of SCC to put on this great Guilford event.
“I’ve been introducing myself to businesses in town, and visiting with people that I have known for years in town. I’m telling them to get involved, come join us!” says Tina.
The Shoreline Chamber of Commerce presents the Fourth Annual Chowder Challenge for a Cause on Saturday, Oct. 14, from noon to 3 p.m. around the Guilford Green. Tickets, $10 per person, are available in advance at www.shorelinechamberct.com or day-of at the registration tent on the Guilford Green.