Delectable dishes and pleased palates were plenty Saturday night at Brudley’s 7th Annual Wild Game, Seafood and Jambalaya Cook-Off.

All proceeds of the event go toward the local Boys and Girls Club and is named in honor of one of most active volunteers the group has ever seen — Brudley Kibodeaux.

Kibodeaux and his wife Nancy were tragically killed in a car wreck in 2007 on their way home from a Boys and Girls Club event.

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Boys and Girls Club Board members point to 16th Judicial District District Attorney Phil Haney as the brains behind the fundraiser when seven years ago he pitched the idea for the cookoff. It caught on and has grown tremendously, organizers said.

“For $20 you get all this great food and this wonderful family atmosphere,” Haney said Saturday night. “When people give money they want to make sure it’s going to a good place, and I think they can see that with this event.”

Boys and Girls Club Special Events Coordinator Susan Fisher said the first year the group held the fundraiser it raised $12,000. Last year they raised $36,000 and this year’s goal was $40,000.

Based on the people packed in to the SugArena they should come close, she said, adding attendance this year was fantastic even with the inclement weather.

Board member Quinten Adcock agreed the turnout was great. He said every year the group gets more sponsors chipping in.

“This is an easy sell when it’s to benefit the kids in this community,” he said.

The cooking team that almost swept every category last year, Acadiana Hydraulics/Krewe of Lou were hoping for a repeat performance this year, team members said.

Kernis “Big Lou” Louviere said the team had been prepping food for four days before the event.

“The dishes we have tonight have taken a lot of time to make sure they’re correct,” he said.

“You have to offer something a little bit right of traditional, something that will really wow them.”

Team members were hoping their crawfish and crab etouffee in a bread bowl and topped with a piece of fried fish would wow the crowd enough to garner them a people’s choice award.

It will take event organizers a few more days to arrive at a final tally of money raised to benefit the Boys and Girls Club, but, all of it will stay in the community and go toward the many programs offered to area youth.

The club is located at 430 E. Pershing St. and provides education ad career development, character and leadership development, heath and life skills, arts direction and sports, fitness and recreation opportunities, free of charge for children and young adults ages 6-18.

 People’s choice award - District Attorney Phil Haney

 Seafood

1ST: Epiphany Men’s Club - crab meat cream puffs

2ND: Acadiana Hydraulic/Krewe of Lou - seafood bouchees with crab and crawfish etouffee topped with fried fish

3RD: Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office - fried Catfish

 Wild Game

1ST: Acadiana Hydraulics/Krewe of Lou - mashed potatoes and smothered deer

2ND: Coastal Production - duck wrapped with bacon

3RD: La Vie Pour Manger - smoked backstrap

 Jambalaya

1ST: La Vie Pour Manger - pork, sausage, rabbit and ham jambalaya

2ND: GAM Tire - jambalaya

3RD: Acadiana Hydraulics/Krewe of Lou- duck, rabbit and deer sausage jambalaya

 Other

1ST: La Vie Pour Manger - tandoori grill

2ND: Coastal Production - pumpkin delight

3RD: Acadiana Hydraulics - baked goodness with heavenly sauce