The 42nd annual Westfort Street Fair kicked off its first hot dog eating contest this weekend in Thunder Bay, Ontario.
Six contestants from all corners of the city competed for the title of hot dog champion in a tough competition on the Heartbeat Hot Sauce Co. stage on Saturday.
Their shared goal was to eat as many hot dogs as they could handle in less than five minutes, including the buns – donated by Emily’s Bread.
Sean Spenrath, host of the hot dog eating contest sponsored by Westfort Foods, said with every bite they honor the community’s rich tradition where “family fun and food go hand in hand.”
“It gets the kids involved in sports and play, which is so important for our community and the youth in our community,” Spenrath said.
“We had a lot of volunteers and for every hot dog consumed, the money ($50) was donated to Our Kids Count, an incredible charity.”
Through the efforts of these participants, the contest raised $2,250, which was matched to $5,000 by the special, mysterious participant, the Westfort Yeti.
“Five long minutes on stage”
Daniel Trevisanutto, CEO of Our Kids Count, participated in the hot dog eating contest under the nickname “Glizzy Guzzler.”
He said he entered the competition because he wanted to represent the charity and thank Westfort Foods for “everything they did for us today.”
“I think it’s a great thing,” Trevisanutto said. “It’s another great event to bring the community together, showcase what Westfort has to offer in town and just another way to bring people together.”
However, he added that preparing for this competition had been difficult.
“The most important thing this morning was not eating anything except some water and making sure I came back hungry,” Trevisanutto said. “And after that it was just ignoring the crowd and just seeing what I could do until they said stop.”
Although it will be a one-time competition for him, he said he may compete again next year.
From outsider to hot dog champion
Trevisanutto was not alone in the dog fight. Many of his competitors also had to resort to the bun-in-water technique in order to keep up.
These contenders included names like Avery “The Glizzard,” Kevin “The Raw Dogger,” Manu “The Hot Diggity Dog,” and Danica Jones, the “Glizzy Gobbler.”
Jones had previously won local spaghetti and watermelon eating contests and now outdid all her competitors by eating an outstanding record of 10 hot dogs. She said it felt good to beat “all the big guys in the competition.”
“(I had) no plan. I just showed up hungry and just hoped for the best, and it turned out it worked,” Jones said.
Jones not only took home the trophy and the title of hot dog champion, but also $250 and a ticket to the upcoming Wake the Giant music festival.
She hopes to defend her title in next year’s hot dog eating contest.
