Before the action heats up on the field between the Dowagiac Chieftains and Paw Paw Redskins Friday night, guests will be invited to experience the heat coming from the bowls of piping-hot chili served inside the high school cafeteria.

Members of the local Beta Sigma Phi sorority will be hosting their 32nd annual Chili Supper from 4:30 to 7 p.m. that evening at Dowagiac Union High School. Guests will enjoy a bowl of chili —made by Cassopolis’ Porky’s Party Place — and/or a hotdog, along with cornbread and a home-baked dessert, along with their choice of milk, fruit punch or coffee. Guests may eat inside the school cafeteria or take their meals with them to go.

Tickets may be purchased at the door. Dinner cost $7 for adults and $5 for senior citizens and children under 5 years old.

The chili supper serves as the largest fundraiser for the five Dowagiac Beta Sigma Phi — a national service organization — sorority chapters: Alpha Kappa, Kappa Beta, Theta Mu, Xi Delta Mu, And Zeta Chi.

“The dinner is a great way to bring our sororities together,” said Melissa Stanger, a 12-year member of Zeta Chi and the current president of the Dowagiac Beta Sigma Phi executive coordinating committee. “We rarely get to do things as a group, so this is a nice for all of us to pool our resources together and give back to the community.”

Proceeds from this year’s dinner will be divided between three Dowagiac nonprofit groups: the Dowagiac Schools Foundation (which benefits from the fundraiser every year), Cass County Cancer Services and St Paul’s Episcopal Church food pantry.

Last year, the local cancer support group and E. Root Fitch Memorial Day Camp were voted by the sorority sisters to receive donations through the dinner, with each getting a $750 donation.

In the past several years, the chili supper has been hosted in conjunction with the last Chieftains home game of the season.

“[The dinner] is a nice place for the families to gather to eat before heading out to the game,” Stanger said.

Around 45 sorority sisters will pitch in to help the night of the dinner, though every member has a hand in the event in some way, from helping create placemats to publicizing the event to the community.

The supper always draws a good crowd, averaging around 300 guests a year, Stanger said.

“We’re optimistic,” she said. “We made more chili than last year, so hopefully we will draw a little larger crowd than last year.”

Due to construction at the high school, guests are asked to park in the student parking area on the east end of the building, by the pickle ball courts.