If your chili recipe draws raves from friends and family, it may be time to kick it up a notch. 

Entries are open for the 17th Annual Chili Cook-Off, held March 4 at Page's Food and Spirits in downtown Farmington. Entry forms are available at the restaurant; an electronic copy of the form is posted with this article. 

Last year's winner, Michelle Vennix of Wixom, says she'll be back to defend her title. 

Organizer Ginny Morris hopes to have 20 entries for the competition. She said Thursday that proceeds from the event, raffle and 50/50 drawing will go to Relay for Life, an annual fundraiser for the American Cancer Society (ACS).

"We're thrilled to have it benefit us this year," said Felicia McMullen, an ACS community representative. "It's nice to support each other through this community event." 

McMullen, who will help judge the cook-off, said funds will be used to provide programs for, and services to, people with cancer and their families. "We are also the second largest funder of cancer research in the country," she said, adding the first is the U.S. government. 

ACS also offers a needs-based Road to Recovery program, a toll-free hotline that provides information about cancer and access to programs and services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

McMullen said she won't be entering her chili, but Farmington Hills resident Shannon Trent picked up an application at Page's on Thursday for her husband, Ken. She said he'll enter an "old family recipe".

"It's still on the same piece of paper," Trent said. 

Over the years, the cook-off has benefited the Farmington-Farmington Hills Foundation for Youth and Families backpack program that provides a weekend's worth of food to students in need, Farmington Hills Police K-9 Unit, Juvenile Diabetes Association, Farmington Civic Theater, Team Farmington (Special Olympics), the Governor Warner Mansion and Botsford Cancer Center. 

Morris said she started the cook-off as a Miss Farmington pageant-related event as a way to give back to the community, recognizing all the support the pageant receives from Farmington and Farmington Hills. 

"It's just a big, family event," she said.

This year's Relay for Life in Farmington will be held May 19-20. A kick-off meeting will be held March 6, 6:30 p.m., at Longacre House in Farmington Hills. Last year, teams walking through the night at Shiawassee Park in Farmington raised more than $82,000 over the two-day event.