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West Virginia Hot Dog Festival raises funds for Children's Hospital

August 01, 2010 @ 12:00 AM

DAVID E. MALLOY

The Herald-Dispatch

HUNTINGTON -- It's fair to say that C.J. Smith of Huntington likes hot dogs.

Smith will eat hot dogs once or twice a week. He'll have six or seven for dinner. So when he heard about Stewarts Original Hot Dogs Hot Dog Eating Contest as part of the 6th annual West Virginia Hot Dog Festival, he was in.

"I heard they had a limited number of entries and I got here just before the contest," Smith said. "It was a last-minute thing. It saved me from buying a bunch of hot dogs. I knew being fat would pay off someday."

He ended up chowing down 14 plain hot dogs in 10 minutes in his initial competitive eating contest to win this year's contest in downtown Huntington. "I feel a little rough right now, but I'll be back next year. I was struggling there at the end. The longer it went, the harder it got."

Smith won $100, an extra large T-shirt, a trophy, a prize package and a free hot-dog meal every week for a year.

The big winner this year though will be Cabell Huntington Children's Hospital, said John Mandt Jr. of Stewarts Original Hot Dogs, organizer for the festival that has raised about $84,000 over five years. "We hope to push that total above $100,000 with this year's event."

"It just keeps getting bigger every year," Mandt said. "We had a great 5K race with close to 400 runners. We have more people calling every year to get involved. We have 12 hot dog vendors here."

Two blocks of 3rd Avenue, from 8th to 10th Street, were blocked off for the festival, which included a car show and a Dachshund race, among other things.

There were only six entrants to pay the $10 fee for the hot dog eating contest. Brian Baumgard of Williamstown, WV, was among them. He ended up eating seven hot dogs in 10 minutes in his inaugural contest. He found out that participating in a competitive eating contest is harder than it looks.

"It was a little bit grueling," Barmgard said. "It'll be a while before I eat a hot dog again."

The weenie dog race was a Dachshund of another color, though.

Betsy, a two-and-a-half year old Dachshund owned by Kara Adkins of Huntington won the race for the second year in a row.

"She loves to race," Adkins said. "She's an inside dog in a small apartment. We don't get to practice very often."

Adkins now can use the two trophies as bookends. "Her other one's on the shelf," she said. "I'm going to need another shelf."

Some 92 Dachshunds participated in the race, said Kym Yorkblake, race organizer.

Karah Markins and Jacob Pauley of Ashland brought their 19-month-old Dachshund named Bowinkle up to Huntington for the race.

"We've come to these before," Markins said. "They're hilarious."

Her plan was to hold Bowinkle's favorite toy up to get her attention. It worked in the first heat which Bowinkle won.

Olivia, an 11-month-old Dachshund belonging to Jennifer Stevens of Huntington did a lot better in the costume contest than the race. She made a costume of Godzilla eating hot dogs for Olivia.

Robin Van Ploennies of Ronake, VA, brought her three Dachshunds to the race this year after hearing from a friend who entered last year. One of them, Willie, an 18-month-old, won one of the 10 heats before the finals.

"She has a little trophy," she said. "I didn't train her. She's a born racer."

The trip to Huntington "has been fun, but it's hard to manage three dogs."

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Dogs are released as they compete in the weiner dog races during the West Virginia Hot Dog Festival on Saturday, July 31, 2010, at Pullman Square in Huntington.

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West Virginia Hot Dog Festival raises funds for Children's Hospital

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