Ten. Nine. Eight. Seven. Six.
The crowd counted down as eight people shoved the last bits of food into their mouths.
Five. Four. Three. Two. One.
Time was up. The tallies were counted. The results were in.
Fire Lt. Sean Withers was the winner. He was handed a brown and gold grand champion belt, which he proudly held up for all to see.
Withers ate eight hot dogs in just a handful of minutes.
“I wanted to win,” he said. “I blanked out and just thought about winning,”
More than 30 people came out to see two teams compete in a hot dog eating contest at the inaugural Sausages for Safety event Saturday afternoon at First Magnitude Brewing Company, located at 1220 SE Veitch St. The event served as a fundraiser for Kiwanis Safety City, a partnership between Gainesville Fire Rescue and Kiwanis of Gainesville.
“We paired up safety education activities with a hot dog eating contest, so it would be a full day for families to come out and enjoy,” said Krista Ott, risk reduction specialist at Gainesville Fire Rescue.
Kiwanis Safety City is a community project that began in 1996. The project teaches children emergency and safety procedures through hands-on experiences. It has two main field-trip programs: one for kindergartners and one for fourth-graders.
The program for kindergarteners involves learning about bicycle and pedestrian safety. The fourth-grade students are taught up to three lessons. The list includes home escape plans, gun safety, internet/social media safety, alligator safety and basic first aid. Both programs are free.
Mayflower Cellars, the competition’s hot dog supplier, sold $10 wristbands on site, with the full amount going to Kiwanis Safety City. The wristbands gave patrons 50 cents off each drink, wine excluded, at First Magnitude. The $40 four-person team entry fee also went to the organization. The fee included a free drink ticket at the brewery and a coupon for a free sausage from Mayflower Cellars.
Gainesville Fire Rescue and Marion County Fire Rescue were the two teams participating in Saturday’s contest.
Each team had five minutes to consume as many hot dogs as possible.
A handmade trophy, with a plastic hot dog on top, and championship belt were the awards for the winners. The team that ate the most hot dogs received the trophy. The competitor who ate the most was awarded the belt.
While Withers was the individual winner of the contest, his Gainesville team, named “Just Try and Ketchup,” won the trophy for eating a total of 25 hot dogs. The Marion County team ate 18.
Haley Wade from WCJB TV20 News was the emcee for the contest.
The money raised at Saturday’s event went toward building an interactive, all-hazard safety house, Ott said. The inside of the house will have a kitchen and a living room. The children will learn about certain dangers that may occur in each room. For example, the kitchen will be equipped with cabinets that contain pictures of different products to teach them poison prevention.
There were various safety education activities for youths at the event.
At one end of a table, the American Red Cross had what was called a Pillowcase Project. Children were given pillowcases to decorate. When they finished, they filled their pillowcases with supplies such as Band-Aids, mini flashlights, water bottles, tissues, notebooks and pens. The project was a way to teach weather emergency preparedness.
At the other end of the table were brand new bicycle helmets in different colors, styles and sizes.
“We’re talking to the young people about wearing helmets properly and the purpose of them, which is a cushion, a pillow, a shock-absorber in case you have a fall,” said Dekova Batey, bicycle/pedestrian coordinator for the City of Gainesville. “The brain could be impacted, and that affects everything that your body does. Your brain is your computer.”
As part of a statewide initiative through the Department of Transportation, a free helmet was provided to each child who wanted one, Batey said. The helmets were fitted based on head size, not age. A parent’s signature was all that was required to take one home.
Jon Pilgrim, the owner of Mayflower Cellars and co-organizer of Sausages for Safety, said they wanted to execute the first-time event the right way, so they could “build on it for next year.” The main goal for next year’s event is to have local businesses sponsor a team.
Pilgrim, 38, said he has another change in mind for next year: a real trophy and championship belt. He said he wants to have the trophy made by a business in Gainesville. But he has other plans for where to get the belt.
“There’s a young man online who started a business making legitimate championship-style belts. He donates the money to charity that he raises from it,” the salumist said. “Next year, when we have this very nice belt, you have to defend it the next year, or you forfeit the belt.”
Withers, though, isn’t concerned about the possibility of having to give it up.
“I’m kind of competitive,” he said. “I’m not a quitter. I plan on bringing the belt home next year. It brings awareness to Safety City.”