Sonja Moseley, who just finished up her graduate courses in nonprofit studies, sets up salsa cups with her husband Mikael Moseley, a business graduate student, who volunteered for his wife's organization salsa entry at the 29th annual Salsa Challenge at Tempe Beach Park on Saturday. (Photo by Perla Farias)As people wearing sombreros walked around holding bags containing chips and Hispanic music played faintly in the background, Sonja Moseley, executive director of the of the Arizona Parks and Recreation Association, handed out her team’s “smoking gun” salsa to passers-by.
Moseley, who just finished her graduate degree in nonprofit studies, and the rest of the association gathered Saturday to enter My Nana’s Best Tasting Salsa Challenge in Tempe.
“We thought it would be a good excuse to get our staff together (and) get our executive board to come down here and hang out on a beautiful day and make good salsa,” she said.
Moseley’s husband, business graduate student Mikael, was in charge of putting the salsa in the containers. He said people seemed to like the salsa, because it was mild but had a little kick.
“Lots of hours of hard labor and love went into this salsa,” he said.
ASU alumnus Bill Schwind, executive director of the association at Casa Grande, came up with the team’s salsa recipe. He said the staff held a contest to find the best salsa and chose this one after testing more than a dozen recipes.
The secret-recipe salsa has the right look and flavor, Schwind said.
“We have lunch outings and picnics with our staff,” he said. “Some of our staff have come up with various concoctions for salsa recipes, and we liked this one.”
The association decided to participate in the challenge to let people know about its work, Schwind said.
Cindy Komar, executive director of the Arizona Hemophilia Association, the organization behind the event, said the culinary festival gathers more than 100 different salsas and 20,000 visitors each year. This year marked the 29th annual salsa challenge.
There were three different categories in the challenge – businesses, restaurants and individuals – and two types of voting – the people’s choice awards and the judges’ picks.
“All proceeds today go to benefit the Arizona Hemophilia Association for the programs and services we do to help families that have bleeding disorders, including hemophilia,” Komar said.
One of the association’s signature programs is Camp Honor, a summer camp in Prescott for children who have a bleeding disorder. The camp teaches them how to infuse themselves with a needle and manage their medical condition.
The association is the only one in Arizona that helps families who are affected by these disorders, Komar said.
Hemophilia affects one in 5,000 male births, and there is no cure for it, but the association funds research and aims to educate families, prevent complications and help them with health insurance.
Komar, whose 10-year-old son has hemophilia, said treatment costs $40,000 each month.
“Insurance becomes really important, so we really try to help advocate for health insurance for families that are affected,” she said.
Next year, the association plans to win the Guinness World Record for the largest bowl of salsa.
“You get to come out and have a great time, drink margaritas and try awesome salsa,” she said. “But it’s all going to a great cause. That makes you feel good all the way around.”
Richard Larson and ASU alumna Judy Harper were guest judges at the event. Harper, who writes the calendar events for Phoenix Magazine, has been a judge for 12 years.
“Once I did it, I was hooked on it,” she said. “I love it, and it’s for a great cause.”
Harper said that when she judges she is looking for a salsa that is not thin, but that can be enjoyed with a cold beer and some chips on a sunny day.
This has been her favorite year, and the winning salsa was on the table she judged, Harper said.
“You can’t live in Arizona and not like a good salsa,” she said.
Larson began six years ago when Harper invited him to participate. He said it can be challenging to judge all the salsas, because they are all so different.
“Some of it does come down to personal taste,” he said. “I’m looking for something that has good flavor and yet a nice follow-up of spiciness.”
The event is a fun way to raise funds for a great cause, Larson said.
Reach the reporter at dpbaltaz@asu.edu or follow her @dpalomabp
Editor's note: Language in this story has been changed to more clearly reflect Sonja Moseley's position as a student and within the Arizona Parks and Recreation Association.
