Last week we heard that a civic group already was interested in undertaking the amphitheater at North Canton's Bitzer Park — just one of the many city-wide improvements in the newly unveiled Master Plan.

Bill Strohmenger, chairman of the Master Plan steering committee, hadn't revealed which organization it was when he detailed the plan at Walsh University last Wednesday.

But we found'em.

The Rotary Club of North Canton will use the money it raises from this weekend's Rotary Chili Open to help create an outdoor amphitheater for city residents to enjoy during the summer months, and especially during the popular Main Street Festival in August.

"It's something we had act talked about before anybody in our club even knew what was going to be in Master Plan," said Brent Fatzinger, North Canton Rotary Chili Open chairperson, adding the group targets one community project each year.

If this year follows suit with previous chili open events, the Rotary Club could raise about $12,000 or $13,000.

The key to its success lies in the time of year the event's held, Fatzinger said. The real draw is a snowy escape from cabin fever.

"So many organizations have golf outings in the summer, and all of them compete against each other and it's hard to find sponsors," he said. "So we do it differently; we do it in the wintertime when there's no competition."

The event takes place at 9 a.m. Saturday and costs $20.

There's still time to sign up, too. Just look to the event's website, rotarychiliopen.com. 

New this year, and happening in conjunction with the chili open, is the Viking Challenge Run, a Warrior Dash-like race for those non-golfers willing to brave the elements that day. Fatzinger said the challenges of the race will depend on the weather Saturday, but if there's snow, it'll include some sledding.

"We want to have as many people as we can participate this year and get the word out for the event to be bigger and bigger," he said.

Sign-up for the Viking Challenge Run, which takes place at 2 p.m. Saturday and costs $25, also takes place at rotarychiliopen.com.

"It's a good opportunity just to get out of the house, enjoy food and fellowship, be involved and help support the community and have a lot of fun," Fatzinger said about both events.