Some 1,700 people turned out at the Portuguese American Club in Oak Bluffs on a rain and sleet-driven Saturday to sample some of the best chili recipes and raise more than $27,000 for the Red Stocking Fund at the 29th annual event sponsored by radio station WMVY.

Pay $10 and enter The Portuguese-American Club on Saturday, March 8 for a casino night to benefit the Shark Tank baseball field.

The 28th Annual Big Chili Contest, a major fundraiser for both the Red Stocking Fund and the Portuguese-American Club, begins at 11 a.m. on Saturday at the P.A. Club in Oak Bluffs (snow date is Sunday).

Gina deBettencourt takes over as new P.A. Club president, succeeding longtime club president Tricia Bergeron, who led the club for 22 years. She’s been involved in club activities for 15 years, most recently serving as vice president of the organization.

There was plenty of reason to celebrate.

On Wednesday morning, the Portuguese-American (P.A.) Club in Oak Bluffs is nearly unrecognizable: It’s quiet both inside and out, a far cry from the exuberant bustle that will surround the modest building on Vineyard avenue this weekend during the annual Holy Ghost Feast. The only sign that the Feast will take place soon are two small tents standing in the parking lot.