'The needs are incredible': QCX donut eating contest raises over $60K for Regina Food Bank
The Queen City Ex (QCX) was host to a mini donut eating contest Friday evening at the Brandt Centre. The showdown saw professional eater Joey Chestnut put away 255 mini donuts in 8 minutes.
The event was for the benefit of the Regina Food Bank. Competitors needed to raise at least $1,000 to take part in competing against the major league eater.
The atmosphere during the competition was on par according to Chestnut, allowing him to put in a record setting performance.
“It felt great, audience was yelling a little bit and pushing me,” he told CTV News.
“Competitors were eating, nobody really gave up, and I did like 255 so I’m pretty happy with that.”
As for the fundraising aspect of the event, Chestnut said he was happy to be a part of supporting the cause.
“The cause is beautiful, being able to raise money for the food bank. Every dollar they raised is able to provide three meals. I think they are able to provide 180,000 meals, so it’s awesome,” he said.
“It’s great to be a part of it, and it’s great to see the community come together.”
All told, the competition fundraised approximately $62,000 for the Regina Food Bank. Funding that is needed now more than ever.
“The needs are incredible,” John Bailey, CEO of the Regina Food Bank explained.
“It starts to sound like a broken record but when you look at the growth we saw during the sort of height of lockdown and then through to today, we’re seeing even eight to 10 per cent higher than we did last year.”
Given the increased need, Bailey believes the event was a success by every definition.
“It is an incredible amount of money and an incredible amount of meals,” he said.
“So when you think about us doing in the neighbourhood of 1,200 meals a day that will keep us in food for the next couple months here, and gives us the breathing room we need to make sure that we can continue meeting the needs for our community.”
As for the tasty treats at the center of the contest, Chestnut was pleasantly surprised by how delicious the competition food was.
“It was one of the tastier contests I’ve had in a while,” he chuckled.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Feds hope to table foreign interference legislation next week: LeBlanc
Democratic Institutions Minister Dominic LeBlanc says he plans to table legislation this week to help the federal government address foreign interference, but he wouldn't say whether the proposal will include a foreign agent registry.
Auston Matthews skates ahead of Game 7, status unclear with season on the line
Auston Matthews was back on the ice with his teammates Saturday.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Work stoppage possible as WestJet issues lockout notice to maintenance engineers' union
A lockout notice issued by WestJet to a union representing aircraft maintenance engineers could result in a work stoppage next week.