Local Dignitaries, Others, Compete To Eat 20 Feet Of Meat For Charity

YPSILANTI (WWJ) - A very filling fundraiser is planned in Ypsilanti Thursday night.

The Wurst Challenge will take place at The Wurst Bar.

Organizer Mark Maynard says the idea for the eating contest came about after the bar's owner decided to make the 20-foot-long brats.

"There's a local nonprofit in Ypsilanti, a place called FLY Children's Art Center ... and they needed money," Maynard told WWJ's Russ McNamara. "So we said let's do it as a fundraiser and let's get some people together to see if they can eat 20-foot-long sausages."

So who will be eating all that meat?

"In addition to the mayor and the president of EMU, there's also two roller derby girls, a couple of local artists, a Tom Selleck impersonator," Maynard said. "It's kind of a weird, eclectic group."

It sound like a lot fun, but Maynard said the competition will be the real deal.

"I think we'll have people try and cheat, and try and hand off pieces to their friends," he said, "but we'll have security there trying to stop that at every turn. You know, this is a serious athletic competition."

Hear the complete interview:
http://nyc.podcast.play.it/media/d0/d0/d1/d4/dX/dC/d9/14XC9_3.MP3
[Click here to listen on your mobile device].

As of Thursday afternoon, $5,000 had already raised for the art center.

The event will take place from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 20. The Wurst Bar is located at 705 W Cross, Ypsilanti, Michigan 48197. Find the whole slate of challengers, and see how much each has raised, on the FLY website. Donations are also accepted at that link.