Thirsty Beaver looks for the biggest wiener-winner

On Saturday, July 22, the Thirsty Beaver Cranston team hosted their first hot dog eating contest to benefit the annual Hope for the Homeless summer bbq with the the Rhode Island Dream Center, MAE Organization for the Homeless and Praise Tabernacle Church.

All of the proceeds from the event will go to helping those in need at the annual Dig In Dining and Entertainment summer BBQ.

Thank you to our sponsor Saugy’s Hotdogs and entertainer Robert Black for your generous donations.

Before the event kicked off, Beaver co-owner, Ed Brady took to the megaphone and addressed the crowd.

"We appreciate all of you for supporting us over the past 10 years. Our friends, you are our community. You bring us purpose and a drive to do better," he said.

While the sun beat down on the contestants, everyone cheered them on.

In the end, the winner was Paul Colard of Cranston, who managed to get down nine dogs in 10 minutes.

Every contestant had their own method to get down the wieners, dipping in lemonade, Gatorade, water or just eating them straight out the pan.

Contestant, Chris Martin proudly exclaimed he would have won, if he were in the shade.

Each contestant was given a pan with 10 Saugy's in it. There were buckets in case anyone felt the need to "give back", water pitchers and if anyone was so inclined, ketchup and mustard were offered.

Rules were simple and basic. Eat as many dogs as they could within 10 minutes time, all dogs had to stay inside the contestant and they were not allowed to dip into any alcoholic beverages.

Each contestant was partnered with a "counter" to keep track and above board on the amounts eaten.

While several contestants pushed their luck and stomachs to win, there was one contestant who slowly ate one hot dog and was finished with the competition.

"Considering this was the first time we ever did this, I think it was successful. We learned a lot, and hopefully next year it will be even better," said Brady.

After the contest was over, the contestants truly needed time to digest what had happened.

Justin Erickson, a managing partner at Dig In Dining was very happy with the day.

"The hot dog eating contest was a fantastic community event. It brought everyone together, fostering a sense of unity and excitement. Not only did it provide a fun and entertaining experience for all participants, but it also raised funds for local charities, making a positive impact on the community. Looking forward to more events that bring us together like this one," he said.

For more information on the Thirsty Beaver and their events, go to thirstybeaverpub.com/