Illinois Health Officials Shut Down Unlicensed Caterer After High School Football Team Dinner Sickens 45

Illinois health officials shut down an unlicensed, home-based caterer after a high school football team dinner sickened at least 45 people and forced the school to postpone its homecoming game.

The Rock Island High School football team’s Sept. 24 dinner was held around 5:30 p.m. in the school cafeteria, where about 75 players, coaches and parents were served a taco bar catered by Sunshine and Spice. The Moline-based home operation is about 10 minutes from Rock Island, local health officials confirmed to KWQC.

The menu included fajita chicken, seasoned taco beef, cheese, flour taco shells, cheesy pepper beans, cilantro corn rice and pico de gallo or salsa.

By about 11 p.m., 23 players, five coaches and three parents were experiencing vomiting and diarrhea, football team trainer Kyle Hoffmann reported to Rock Island City Health Inspector Andy Swartz the following afternoon, the news outlet reports.

At least 45 people total eventually reported illness. None required hospitalization, though one player saw a doctor. Most recovered within 24 hours.

The high school postponed its homecoming game until all affected players had been symptom-free for at least 24 hours, as advised by the Rock Island County Health Department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, per KWQC.

During the investigation, Swartz met with Sunshine and Spice owner Joshua Harris and found that the home-based catering operation was not licensed or food-safety certified. Swartz ordered the business to stop operating immediately and gave Harris information on how to obtain the required licenses, according to the news outlet.

Harris told Swartz that the meal’s ingredients were purchased from Walmart in Moline, Spotted Apron in Geneseo and farmers markets in Davenport and Coal Valley.

Harris said in a statement to KWQC that Sunshine and Spice was sorry for what happened and denied intentionally providing unsafe food.

“First, Sunshine and Spice wants to sincerely apologize and send even more prayers to anyone affected by last week's Rock Island Football Team Meal. We provided a taco bar-style potluck before the team was dismissed to prepare for their Homecoming Game,” Harris said.

He further explained how he prepared the food.

“All of the food purchased from Walmart on Wednesday Night was fully cooked (beef, chicken, rice). We put all of the leftovers in plastic bags provided by the team parents for anyone to take home. We have cooked for numerous parents of the team/school in the past and have no reason EVER to provide a sub-standard meal or purposely attempt any tampering shenanigans.”

Harris continued, “We are saddened by this whole situation. We have been working side by side with the Rock Island County Health Department and Rock Island City/County Law Enforcement Agencies to be a part of their continuing investigations. Again, we want to extend our deepest apologies and continued prayers to those affected.”

Health officials said the investigation remains ongoing and that leftover food from the dinner was seized for testing.

Swartz worked with county health officials and the Illinois Department of Public Health to survey people who became sick. According to the results, obtained by KWQC, the most commonly consumed items were cilantro corn rice, fajita chicken, cheese and flour taco shells:

Rock Island lost their Friday game to East Moline United Football, making their 2026 record 0-7.