The food is always a major selling point at the Chilly Open, but this year, it may have to share top billing with the music.
Country musician Keith Anderson, known for his songwriting and a string of mid-2000s hits, is the headliner at the 18th annual charity fundraiser.
The Chilly Open is slated for noon to 5 p.m. Feb. 1 at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. It is organized by the Rotary Club of Westerville Sunrise.
Over the course of its 17 years, the event, sponsored by Kroger and Papa John’s Pizza, has raised more than $2 million for central Ohio children’s charities, as well as for a recently-added community center in Rwanda.
Among the 30-plus restaurants on this year’s menu are Papa John’s, Skyline Chili, the Old Bag of Nails, Polaris Grill, Bel Lago, Sandman Gourmet Deli and Catering, City Barbeque, Cantina Laredo, Giammarco’s, Liberty Tavern and the Bogey Bar & Grill. Activities including games, face-painting, laser tag and a bounce house will fill out the Children’s Open portion of the fundraiser, specifically targeted at younger attendees, and live and silent auctions are also on the agenda.
“Zoo personnel will also be bringing some animals around to the Children’s Open, as well as the main event area,” says Chilly Open chairman Pat Knott.
Charities that will benefit from this year’s event include Children’s Hunger Alliance, the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, Mount Carmel St. Ann’s, the Westerville Sunrise Rotary Foundation, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Flying Horse Farms, the Westerville Area Resource Ministry, the Buckeye Ranch, Ohio Troopers Caring Inc., Partners in Conservation, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, the Ubumwe Community Center in Rwanda and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Musical entertainment starts at 1 p.m. with rock ‘n’ roll cover band the Debits, chosen for its popularity in party settings.
“This group of local musicians met as a group of accountants working at The Limited in the mid-1990s,” says Knott. “Since they are all CPAs, the name ‘the Debits’ seemed appropriate.”
For the final set of the night, Anderson will join the Debits onstage, then perform a solo set.
Anderson is probably best known for his 2004 debut album Three Chord Country and American Rock & Roll, which spawned four hit singles, including “Pickin’ Wildflowers” and “XXL.” His 2008 album C’Mon! also had a top-10 single in “I Still Miss You.”
He also wrote Big & Rich’s 2007 No. 1 “Lost in this Moment” and co-wrote 2001 Garth Brooks/George Jones hit “Beer Run (B Double E Double Are You In?).”
Tickets for the Chilly Open are $45 each and include all activities, food, non-alcoholic beverages and four drink tickets, as well as zoo admission from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Children 12 and under are free. Parking is $5.
Tickets can be purchased online at www.chillyopen.org. More information can be found on the website or by calling 614-823-8000.
Nathan Rhodes is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.
