Spicy, Spirity & Success Crowned 2026 Battle of the Badges Champions

JAMESTOWN, N.Y. — After four weeks of cooking, competition, laughter and community spirit, the Golden Ladle has officially found its home.

Spicy, Spirity & Success, featuring Camille Hodnett and Patrick Graham and representing EMS, was crowned the 2026 Battle of the Badges: The Ladle Showdown Champion Thursday evening at St. Susan Center.

And spicy, spirited and successful is exactly what they were.

The championship could hardly have been closer. When the final scores were tallied, only two points separated the winning team from the competition, providing an exciting finish to the month-long fundraiser.

“It was wonderful to have a championship team representing each of our three badges, Police, Fire and EMS, battling it out tonight,” said Melissa “Missy” Paterniti, Chairperson of Battle of the Badges. “That was exactly what I hoped this finale would look like when we started planning Battle of the Badges. Camille and Patrick earned that Golden Ladle, but when only two points separate a championship, you know every team brought their very best.”

Joining Spicy, Spirity & Success in the championship were the Sheri-Chefs, brothers Jace Blake and Kaiden Blake, representing the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office. Kaiden serves as a 911 dispatcher for the Sheriff’s Office. Also competing was Team Cummins, Carol Sweeney and Michelle Torrens, representing and honoring the Falconer Fire Department.

“I want to give a huge shout-out to the Sheri-Chefs and Team Cummins,” Paterniti added. “All three teams gave us an incredible championship. They embraced everything this event was supposed to be about: having fun, recognizing our first responders, supporting St. Susan Center and bringing our community together. Tonight we crowned one champion, but after these four weeks, I think our entire community walked away a winner.”

For champions Camille Hodnett and Patrick Graham, taking home the title was about more than winning the competition.

“Winning the Golden Ladle is an incredible feeling, especially knowing how close the competition was,” Hodnett and Graham said in a joint statement. “Being able to represent EMS while supporting St. Susan Center made the experience even more meaningful. We had a great time throughout the competition, and we’re grateful to everyone who came out and supported all of the teams. This was something special to be part of.”

A Special Championship Night

Jamestown Mayor Kimberly Ecklund and Chautauqua County Executive PJ Wendel served as guest masters of ceremonies for the championship finale, helping bring the four-week competition to a memorable close.

“Battle of the Badges has shown what can happen when people come together around a common purpose,” Ecklund said. “There was certainly plenty of friendly competition, but there was also a tremendous amount of community spirit and appreciation for the people who serve us every day. It was wonderful to be part of the championship and to see so many people come together in support of St. Susan Center.”

Wendel said the event was also an opportunity to recognize those who serve communities throughout Chautauqua County.

“Our police, fire and EMS professionals answer the call every day throughout Chautauqua County, and Battle of the Badges gave the community a fun and unique way to recognize that service,” Wendel said. “At the same time, everyone who participated helped support St. Susan Center and the important work it does. That combination of service, generosity and community is what made this event so special.”

More Than a Fundraiser

Battle of the Badges was created to help St. Susan Center raise funds toward its commercial walk-in freezer needs. Over four Thursday evenings in September, however, the fundraiser grew into something much larger.

Teams cooked in recognition of local police, fire and EMS agencies. Community members served as judges and guest participants. Sponsors supported the series, volunteers worked tirelessly behind the scenes, and people from throughout the area filled the tables at St. Susan Center.

For St. Susan Center Executive Director Cherie Rowland, the atmosphere surrounding Battle of the Badges reflected the Center’s mission.

“At St. Susan Center, we believe what happens around a table is about much more than food. It’s about relationship, dignity, conversation and belonging,” Rowland said. “For four weeks, Battle of the Badges brought people together around those tables. We saw first responders, volunteers, businesses, community leaders and neighbors sharing food, laughter and fellowship while supporting our mission. We are incredibly grateful to Missy, everyone who worked behind the scenes, every contestant, judge, sponsor and volunteer, and every person who came through our doors and supported this event.”

For Paterniti, seeing those tables filled week after week became one of the most meaningful parts of the entire experience.

“When we started, of course we wanted to raise money for the freezer, but somewhere along the way this became about so much more than that,” Paterniti said. “I watched police officers, firefighters, EMS professionals, businesses, community leaders, volunteers and families sit around the same tables, laugh together and support one another. That’s the part I’ll remember.”

“There are so many people to thank that I’m almost afraid to start naming them because I don’t want to leave anyone out. Our contestants gave us four weeks of great food and entertainment. Our judges gave their time and jumped right into the fun. Our MCs kept the evenings moving and the crowd engaged. Our sponsors believed in what we were trying to accomplish, and our volunteers did so much of the work people never see, from setting up and serving to cleaning up and coming back week after week.”

“And to every person who purchased a ticket, walked through those doors, sat at one of our tables and supported St. Susan Center, thank you. You gave this event its heart.”

After four weeks of competition, there could only be one Golden Ladle.

Congratulations to Camille Hodnett and Patrick Graham of Spicy, Spirity & Success, representing EMS, on becoming the 2026 Battle of the Badges Champions.

A special congratulations also goes to Jace and Kaiden Blake of the Sheri-Chefs, representing the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office, and Carol Sweeney and Michelle Torrens of Team Cummins, representing and honoring the Falconer Fire Department, for making the championship a battle that came down to just two points.

Three championship teams. Three badges. One community.

In the end, the story of Battle of the Badges was about much more than who made the best soup.

It was about a community sharing a table and showing up for one another.

One Community. Three Badges. Endless Heart.