By AMANDA GALLAGHER Staff Writer Published: May 1, 2013 4:00AM

WOOSTER -- Chefs from area senior health care facilities will come together Friday to compete in an event that benefits Wayne County's elderly and developmentally disabled individuals.

The Iron Chef Competition to benefit the Wayne County Volunteer Guardianship Association will be held 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at the Shisler Center at the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center.

Chefs from area senior health care facilities will each create an entree, side dish and dessert and must use a secret ingredient in each of their dishes.

Participating facilities include Glendora Health Care Center, Brookdale Place Wooster, Sprenger Health Systems, West View Healthy Living, Autumnwood Nursing & Rehab, Doylestown Health Care Center and Burbank Parke.

The dishes will be judged by local celebrities. Guests will be able to sample all of the dishes and vote for their favorite. The event will include a brief presentation from the Wayne County Volunteer Guardianship Program about the program and what it has accomplished this last year.

The mission of the program is to locate and assist volunteer guardians to meet the needs of mentally incompetent individuals in Wayne County.

The program has been recruiting and placing volunteers with elderly and developmentally disabled individuals for about a year and a half, said Laurie Kindler, volunteer coordinator for the WCVGA.

"To date we have 21 trained volunteers and have placed 12 of those volunteers with wards in group homes and nursing homes in Wayne County," said Kindler. "Volunteers are motivated by a personal commitment to help the elderly and adults with developmental health issues. Our volunteers are a very compassionate, caring group that I have the pleasure to work with."

Referrals come from long term care facilities, group homes, social service agencies and hospitals located in Wayne County. Volunteers are tasked with advocating for their ward and making health and placement decisions for the individual needs.

"Volunteering as a guardian gives you the opportunity to meet a need in your own community for a very special group of people who are without family or friends who can advocate on their behalf," said Kindler.

The Iron Chef Competition is an annual fundraiser. The proceeds are used for volunteer training, background checks and costs associated with recruiting and placing volunteers.

The competition will include raffle items and cookbooks containing all of the recipes being served at the event for sale for $15.

For more information on the Iron Chef Competition, contact Kelli Beckler at 330-465-8215 or Kindler at 330-904-3655. Tickets will be available at the door.

Those interested in volunteering can contact Kindler by phone or email at waynecovga@gmail.com.

Reporter Amanda Gallagher can be reached at 330-287-1635 or agallagher@the-daily-record.com.