The Nathan’s Famous hotdog eating contest will go ahead as planned on the Fourth of July but there is one catch -- no fans are allowed due to the coronavirus pandemic. The annual event will be held in a private location on Coney Island and will adhere to strict COVID-19 safety measures, according to WABC.
You might not think of a hot dog eating contest as a spectator event, but Nathan’s event is hugely popular. This year, due to social distancing, only five eaters will participate in the 10-minute competitions for leading male and female contestants, and they will have to bring their A-game as the field is stuffed with top competitors who are on a roll.
A favorite to win is Joey Chestnut, the who once downed 74 hotdogs and buns in 10 minutes, and Miki Sudo, the six-time female competition winner who gulped down 41 hotdogs and buns.
The event is about more than just about winning as the contest raises funds for food banks and will donate 100,000 Nathan's Famous hot dogs to Food Bank for New York City.
James Walker, Nathan's Famous Senior Vice President, Restaurants, said he was excited that the hotdog eating contest will continue to roll this year.
"2020 has been a year for the history books, and the realization that this storied July 4 tradition would be able to occur, is a great feeling," he said. "With that being said, our country and our world has endured so much in the last couple of months, that we'd be remiss if we didn't use this moment to honor those that have done so much for each of us during this time."
Walker added: "We owe so much to those that kept our communities fed and cared for during this unprecedented time, and we look forward to honoring them on July 4."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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