Gumbo Gladiators ready to do battle again

The pots are being prepped. The teams are busy checking their recipes. The okra is getting sliced. It’s gumbo time again, and the Volunteers for Youth Justice (VYJ) are again turning up the heat for the 12th Annual Battle of the Gumbo Gladiators.

Things get cooking on March 8 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. in Festival Plaza in downtown Shreveport.

The entry fee is $2, and children under 12 are free. The gates open at 11 a.m. for the early birds. Gumbo sample tickets and beverages can be purchased at the event with cash and credit cards accepted. There will also be an ATM on site. Everyone will receive a People’s Choice token to vote for their favorite gumbo samples.

Lest you think it’s all about gumbo, food will also be available for sale for non-gumbo epicures. There will also be a free children’s area with bounce houses provided.

Alex Person is the community engagement director for VYJ. She said they anticipate 40 teams and 50 different gumbo entries this year. “We are excited to bring the community together once again for an unforgettable day of food, fun and friendly competition,” she said, “This event not only highlights the incredible culinary skills of our local gumbo masters but also strengthens our mission of supporting and empowering youth.”

Person said this is the largest fundraiser for VYJ and helps to underwrite all of the programs the organization provides. She said since its inception, Gumbo Gladiators has become a signature event for VYJ, drawing thousands of gumbo lovers eager to sample the best gumbo North Louisiana has to offer. Teams compete in categories such as Seafood, Chicken & Sausage and Lagniappe Gumbos, with a panel of judges selecting the top contenders. Attendees will also be able to vote for their favorite gumbo for the People’s Choice Award and Award for Best Booth based on their votes. The awards include $300 for first place, special mention for other winners, a trophy for best team spirit and for the best booth.

Numerous concessions will be available where attendees can purchase an item for themselves or as a gift to remind them of the event.

Proceeds from the Battle of the Gumbo Gladiators will benefit VYJ’s non-profit operations, which provide advocacy, mentoring and intervention services to at-risk youth and families in north Louisiana.

VYJ has been built on the foundation of diversion programming to break the cycle some kids get into when they come into the juvenile system. The programming includes advocacy, life-skill training and mentoring experiences for abused, neglected and at-risk children throughout Northwest Louisiana.

Today, VYJ has six primary programs:

CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates), which pairs young offenders with mentors to steer them through their court-related duties.

Gems & Gents is the Youth Mentoring Programs and Leadership Academy, Jumpstart, teen court and conflict resolution. Court Programs consist of FINS (Families in Need of Services) and the Youth Empowerment Center. TASC (Truancy Assessment Service Center) provides K through 5 school attendance and four school-based resource centers in Caddo Schools. TBRI® (Trust-Based Relational Intervention) provides trauma-focused services.

Finally, a signature program is MCC (My Community Cares).

In 1981, the Juvenile Court of Caddo Parish handled a large number of cases. Initially arrested for minor offenses, the young people were being shuffled through the overcrowded system with a too-often outcome of becoming repeat offenders. During that same time, ladies from Shreveport’s First Presbyterian Church attended a conference in Montreat, North Carolina. Presbyterian minister Jim Watkins taught a seminar, “Behind Closed Doors – A Workshop on Criminal and Juvenile Justice.” It highlighted a program established in Atlanta, Georgia, to address some of the same issues the Shreveport system faced.

Carolyn W. Beaird, Marjorie B. Winkler, Lea Johnson and Babs Roggero came back to Shreveport fired up about the potential of the program, eager to share with their church, their pastor, Dr. John Rogers, and Suzette Kincer-Haley, the church’s director of Christian education. Their idea was to start a similar program locally.

The group saw a need to break the cycle by assisting the Juvenile Court through the use of volunteers to divert first-time offenders. The kids were presented an opportunity to start afresh, gaining positive behaviors and taking responsibility for their actions. Their efforts here launched Volunteers for Youth Justice (VYJ), formerly known as the Shreveport Juvenile Justice Program.

The effort is a volunteer-based, community-supported non-profit organization whose mission is to provide a community that cares for children, youth and families in crisis.

Person said you can get more information about VYJ and the Battle of the Gumbo Gladiators on Facebook and Instagram.

She promised the event would be a lot of fun for the entire family and suggested getting lots of sample tickets to experience the gumbo greatness of north Louisiana.