Jon Bon Jovi and fans collect more than 500 pounds of food for needy in Toms River

Jon Bon Jovi and his fans rocked a local food pantry with donations.

Jon Bon Jovi Soul Kitchen's seventh annual Chili Cook-Off on Oct. 16 at the JBJ Soul Kitchen in Toms River collected more than 580 pounds of food for the Fulfill People’s Pantry. That's enough for 386 meals for the underserved in the area.

The chili of the Union Beach PBA Local 291, cooked up by Sgt. Deborah Trembley, won the cook-off, which was partly judged by Bon Jovi and wife Dorothea Bongiovi.

Chili Cook-Off participants included Lanoka Harbor EMS; Melrose Hose Company/Sayreville Fire Department; New Jersey State Police-Holmdel; Ocean County Sheriffs PBA Local 379; President Park Fire Company/Sayreville Fire Department; Sayreville Engine Company 1/Sayreville Fire Department; Sayreville Police Department; Six Flags EMS; and Toms River Fire Company 1.

At the Bon Jovi Soul Kitchen restaurants, diners pay a minimum of $20 for a three-course meal, which goes toward the cost of meals for non-paying diners. Those who can't pay are invited to dine and learn about ways to volunteer at the restaurants. The Toms River Soul Kitchen is located in the B.E.A.T. Center at 1769 Hooper Ave., which also houses a branch of Fulfill, formerly the FoodBank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties, the Peoples Pantry and other community organizations.

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“There are more than 59,000 food insecure residents in Ocean County, including 18,000 children,” said Triada Stampas, president and CEO of Fulfill, in a statement. “We are proud to partner with the JBJ Soul Foundation at the B.E.A.T. Center to bring needed resources to the residents of Ocean County, including our People’s Pantry, JBJ Soul Kitchen and much more. We look forward to continuing to build these partnerships for Ocean County’s neighbors.”

Fulfill has been providing food for families at the Jersey Shore for more than 30 years and supplies more than 1 million meals per month by distributing to nearly 300 feeding agencies in Monmouth and Ocean counties. Visit www.fulfillnj.org for more information.

There are also Soul Kitchens in Red Bank and Rutgers University-Newark. Visit jbjsoulkitchen.org for more information.

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Chris Jordan, a Jersey Shore native, covers music and entertainment for the USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey. Contact him at @chrisfhjordan; cjordan@app.com.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Jon Bon Jovi collects food for needy at Soul Kitchen cookoff