On Thursday, people got a treat at the Gardendale Senior Center.

Behind the doors of the center was the first chili cookoff for senior citizens of Gardendale. Dozens came out to taste the cooking of six contestants who entered the contest.

The judges for the cookoff were Gardendale City Council members Gary Morris and Peggy Tumlin, Mayor Othell Philips, County Board of Education candidate Oscar Mann and Hazel Butts, who has been a director of traffic at the Gardendale schools for 46 years.

Ed Williams, one of the directors of Gardendale Funeral Home, was there to hand out cupcakes and $20 gift certificates to people with birthdays approaching.

Two people were there to celebrate their upcoming birthdays. Hanna Salter, 75, and Chuck Cleandening, 80, ate with the other guests at the contest.

The winner of the cook off was Carol Fortunbury, who was also crowned Miss Gardendale Senior 2012 on Valentine’s Day, along with her husband Don Fortunbury who was crowned Mr. Gardendale Senior on the same day.

Everybody who brought the food was called to the front and gift certificates were given to them for their efforts.

The center regularly hosts activities for senior citizens. Some of these include music and dance, exercise classes, educational speakers, parties and games.

“I’m proud of this place,” said Peggy Burgess, director of the center. “This is like one big family. Everybody cares about everybody else.”

Burgess has been managing the center since its opening 10 years ago. She was among those who planned and put the building project together.

After the winner was announced, the guests were free to dine on the cooking. Among the guests was Carl Frey, a veteran of the Korean War, and his wife, who is a retired nurse from 34 years at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and is known affectionately as “Dr. Mom” among friends.

“I think it [the cookoff] was wonderful,” said Frey. “We like to stick together, tell jokes and have a good time.”

He was definitely not the only one. Mayor Phillips dined with the others with a smile on his face.

“Great times, great food, great people,” he said.