Hot Dog! Everyone Can Get a Taste of World-Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest; Two Can Win a Chance to Be a Judge

CHICAGO, May 4 /PRNewswire/ -- What's it like to eat with the big dogs?

Nathan's Famous all-beef hot dogs invites everyone to taste the excitement surrounding the 94th annual Nathan's Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest held in Coney Island, NY – including a chance to help judge the competition.  The excitement begins at www.nathanssweepstakes.com, where visitors can vie for prizes, test their virtual eating skills, and enter to win a trip to New York City to be a contest judge live on the Fourth of July.  

(Logo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100504/MN97643LOGO)

"It's a fun time on the web site leading up to the big event on July 4th – like having an appetizer before the big meal," says Janet Sweeney, marketing director for Specialty Foods Group, which handles retail sales for Nathan's Famous hot dogs.

Two grand prize winners in the Nathan's You Be The Judge Sweepstakes will earn a trip for four to New York to help judge the hot dog eating competition in Coney Island, where Nathan's Famous hot dogs were first sold in 1916.  One grand prize winner will be drawn on or around June 1 to attend the event this year; another winner will be drawn on or around September 7 to attend in 2011.  Web visitors can also win other great instant prizes, including free packages of Nathan's Famous hot dogs and cool gear.  

On the web site, visitors can also test their "eating" skills against their friends with famed frank eating champions.  An interactive game challenges participants to grab as many hot dogs as they can in 30 seconds while avoiding point-robbing bags of French fries.  Top scores are posted to add even more spice to the competition.  

The Nathan's Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest is a world renowned eating competition where 20 competitive eaters face-off to see who can down the most dogs in 10 minutes.  The winner walks away with a trophy, the coveted champion's belt and bragging rights.  Last year, for the third year in a row, Joey Chestnut claimed victory by consuming 68 hot dogs.  He is expected to be at the table again this summer, alongside other contestants who qualify in preliminary rounds held around the country in May and June.

Nathan's Famous hot dogs are just that – famous for their quality and great flavor that has made them a culinary icon.  President Theodore Delano Roosevelt served them to the King and Queen of England in 1939; everyone from Al Capone to Joe DiMaggio to former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani have enjoyed and lauded the attributes of Nathan's Famous hot dogs.

SOURCE Specialty Foods Group