HELENA, Mont. – This week a foreign exchange student at East Helena High School is giving back to the community while he’s still in Montana.
Ahmed is a senior at East Helena High School who organized a Chili Cook-Off in collaboration with the Key Club to help raise money for the Montana Hope Project.
“We’re all bringing our chili recipes and competing to see who’s the best and the best,” said Michael Touchette, a chili cook-off contestant.
Ahmed Fehri is graduating in just a few months before he heads back home to Tunisia, North Africa and he wanted to raise money for the Montana Hope Project.
“I’m here and I try to make an impact in the community I’m living in and make the best of the experience I have since I’m going to stay here for a limited time and I have to make the best out of it for me and for the community,” said Ahmed.
The Montana Highway Patrol started the Montana Hope Project in 1984 as a way to give back to the communities they serve in a special and unique way; their mission is to fulfill the dreams and wishes of children in Montana who suffer from a terminal, critical, or chronic illness.
“He said that it mattered a lot to him that the organization that he supported does something for kids,” said Rhonda Huseby, the Helena area coordinator for Montana Hope Project.
The Chili Cook-Off took place on March 15, 2024 at East Helena High and everyone was welcome.
“Events like these are important because we are a non-profit and rely on donations and fundraisers to ensure that MT kids with serious health issues can continue to receive wishes and hope,” said Huseby.
Dozens of people voted for their favorite chili (and pie).
To date, the Montana Hope Project has granted 534 wishes for children in Montana.
“Children like this who are already suffering from such diseases, diseases that are kind of dangerous, deserve to deserve happiness and deserve to think and to know that other people care about them,” said Ahmed.
We are bouncing around the state tonight let’s go to the capital city a foreign exchange student wanted to do something for his community before he heads back home that’s right he has organized a chili cook off and invited the public to participate in all proceeds from this
Event we’ll be going to the Montana hope project our Joey Taylor is live at the event right now and Joey how are things going at the chili kickoff and I’m dying to know if you’ve tried any of that chili yeah things are going really great here there are a dozen of people here
I’m going to step out of the way so you can kind of see people are trying chili there’s about a dozen chilies maybe a little more than that um and yes I have my chili right here I’ve been trying it now like you said Ahmed is a senior here
At East Helena high school and he wanted to give back to the treasure state before he goes back home and so he organized this chili cook off also good note there is pie here as well so you are voting on your favorite chili and your favorite pie but he wanted to give
Back to the community before he goes back home so like you mentioned all proceeds from this event are going to the Montana hope project that’s a nonprofit organization who actually grants wishes to critically ill children specifically here in Montana now there is still plenty of time to get down here
Uh it’s $11 to taste some chili and Pie that’s also included it’s a fun time so plenty of time to get down here if you’re in the Helena area so I’m going to uh get back to my chili tasting and send things back to you live in East
Helena I’m Joey Taylor non-stop local Joey I gotta ask you ahed first off where where’s he from we’d love to know where where he’s returning to and then two have you had a chance to kind of see him at all today or is he around the area yeah so he’s actually from Tunisia
Uh and he is around yes he is actually back here he’s talking with a group of people I’m actually going to talk with him later and so later tonight we are going to have a more depth story for you guys where you can meet Ahmed and learn more
About him and why he’s doing this awesome Joey enjoy the chili we’re really jealous back here in in the I want you to bring it over back over here Joey Taylor from Helena thank you very much Joey