09/28/2026
FOUR WEEKS. THREE BADGES. ONE INCREDIBLE COMMUNITY.
Well, here we are. After three months of planning, four Thursday nights, countless hours of preparation, plenty of laughter, some incredible soup and one unforgettable championship, Battle of the Badges 2026 has officially come to an end!
I wanted to take a moment to personally thank the people who helped turn an idea into something special for St. Susan Center.
What started as a competition featuring Police, Fire and EMS evolved into something even more meaningful. We had first responders and everyday community members stepping up to cook in recognition and honor of those who wear the badge. We brought people together from all walks of life, from little ones experiencing the excitement to longtime supporters and guests of St Susan Center.
Some walked through our doors for the very first time. Others have been part of the St. Susan family for years. For four weeks, we all shared the same tables and that is something I will always remember.
FIRST, OUR 2026 CHAMPIONS!
Congratulations to Camille Hodnett and Patrick Graham of Spicy, Spirity & Success, representing EMS, on capturing the Golden Ladle in a championship decided by just TWO POINTS!
A huge congratulations also goes to our other championship teams, Jace Blake and his brother Kaiden Blake of the Sheri-Chefs, representing the Chautauqua County Sheriff’ office, and Carol Sweeney and Michelle Torrens of Team Cummins Inc, competing in honor of the Falconer Fire Department.
Having a championship team representing each of our three badges was exactly what I had hoped to see and who would have thought we'd have a four-point battle during Week Two and a two-point championship finale? Talk about keeping everyone on the edge of their seats!
TO OUR CONTESTANTS, WEEK BY WEEK
Week One brought us Cherie Rowland and Mark Miller of Soup Stars & Kitchen Scars, along with Carol Sweeney and Michelle Torrens of Team Cummins. You helped us kick off this adventure and set the tone for everything that followed!
Week Two brought the heat with Jace Blake and Andy Caruso of the Sheri-Chefs, our Jamestown NY Fire Department Local 137 Ryan and Dan and Bryan Bigelow and his wife Alice, our two goofballs who certainly helped keep things entertaining!
Week Three featured Camille Hodnett and Patrick Graham of Spicy, Spirity & Success, along with our wonderful team from the Chautauqua County Office for Aging Services (CCOFAS). We even threw in three mystery soups to keep everyone guessing!
And finally, Championship Night brought our three finalist teams together for one last showdown.
Thank you to every contestant for stepping up, taking a chance, having fun and helping us recognize our Police, Fire and EMS professionals.
TO EVERY ONE OF OUR JUDGES
You gave us your time, your taste buds and some pretty difficult decisions!
Week One: Senator George Borrello, Sheriff James Quattrone and City Councilman Jeremy D. Engquist.
Week Two: Council President Regina Brackman, Kathy Nicastro and Alan Gustafson Jr.
Week Three: Crystal Surdyk, Sandy Hooven and Stacey Tanner
Championship Night: Jennifer Lundmark, Brainard and St. Susan Center Head Chef Jessica Velasco.
Thank you all for being such great sports, embracing the competition and helping make each week special. I still cannot believe our final championship came down to just two points!
TO OUR AMAZING MCs
Justin Gould and Missy Paterniti, thank you for joining me throughout this adventure. You brought your personalities, humor and energy to our cooking show, and I appreciate you both more than you know.
Also, a very special thank you to Jamestown Mayor Kim Ecklund and Chautauqua County Executive PJ Wendel for stepping up as our Championship Night MCs.
Boy, did you two NOT disappoint!
You put on a fantastic show, kept everyone entertained and helped us close out the competition in such a memorable way. Thank you for jumping right in and making our final night so much fun!
❤️ TO OUR SPONSORS AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS
Thank you to The Chautauqua Center (TCC), Mental Health Association in Chautauqua County (MHA), Community Helping Hands and Dollar General (for their in-store donate rack for supporting this event and helping us bring it to life.
Every contribution, donation, partnership and helping hand made a difference.
Thank you to Bonnie Kyle for all that she did for this event, also thank you to Starling Franco for the wonderful website design.
TO OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Thank you for trusting me and allowing me to put this event together.
When I first started planning back in June, I had an idea of what I wanted Battle of the Badges to become. It certainly took a few twists and turns along the way!
We introduced new people to St. Susan Center, brought longtime supporters back through the doors and created four evenings where our community could come together for a meaningful cause.
Thank you for believing in the idea and giving me the opportunity to make it happen.
TO Cherie Brainard Rowland AND THE ENTIRE ST. SUSAN CENTER STAFF:
Cherie, thank you for everything you do, not just for this event, but for St. Susan Center and the people who depend on it every day.
Thank you for trusting me, supporting the ideas and helping us get through these four weeks. Your dedication to this community deserves recognition far beyond this fundraiser.
To Chef Jessica Velasco and the entire St. Susan staff, thank you for the long hours, preparation, serving, cleaning, organizing and countless things happening behind the scenes.
I know how much work went into making these evenings possible, and I want you to know it did not go unnoticed.
Last Thursday was a wonderful reminder of just how special St. Susan Center really is.
TO OUR VOLUNTEERS, SUPPORTERS AND EVERYONE WHO ATTENDED
Whether you helped set up the tent, served soup, sold tickets, donated supplies, shared a Facebook post, purchased a ticket, invited a friend or simply came out to cheer everyone on, THANK YOU!
To our community leaders, first responders, elected officials, board members, business owners, families and guests of St. Susan Center, thank you for being part of this.
I especially loved seeing people from so many different walks of life enjoying themselves together. For those few hours every Thursday, titles didn't matter. Everyone was there for the same purpose.
We started this fundraiser to help St. Susan Center with its much-needed freezer, but I hope we also accomplished something that will last much longer: bringing greater awareness to an organization that serves our neighbors every single day.
The pots have been washed, the cooking stations have come down, the judges have turned in their final scores and our champions have taken home the Golden Ladle.
But tomorrow, St. Susan Center will still be here.
There will still be someone who needs a warm meal, a friendly face, a conversation or simply a place where they feel welcome.
The battle may be over, but the fight to help St. Susan Center continues.
To everyone who was part of these past four weeks, from the first contestant to the last person who helped us clean up, please know how much I appreciate you.
We came together for a freezer, but I believe we walked away with something even more valuable: new friendships, wonderful memories and a stronger connection to our community.
Please enjoy this video I made for the whole series.
Thank you for making September 2026 a month I will never forget.
One Community. Three Badges. Endless Heart.
With heartfelt appreciation,
Missy Paterniti
Chairperson, Battle of the Badges 2026
