<<Home Niagara Falls Reporter Archive>>

POLICE DONUT EATING SHOWDOWN FEATURED FRITTER

The stage was set at the donut eating contest at the Community and Police Partnership (CAPP) fund-raising event Saturday, June 16 at LaSalle Waterfront Park.

The Niagara Falls police had their biggest donut-eating cop, Detective Thomas Ewing, ready to eat what it took to be crowned king donut eater for a day. But the event drew other donut eaters. Ewing was flanked by seven residents who also had reputations built on donut consumption.

Donuts, from all sections of the city: Frankie’s Donuts, DeCamillos Bakery, Tim Horton’s, Dunkin Donuts, Tops and Wegmans, were spread out on long tables, glistening in the sun in rectangular boxes, awaiting the call for the start of the contest.
Ewing looked the favorite, confident in his ability that once saw him consume a dozen full-sized donuts at one sitting, then reportedly order a pizza with anchovies.

The rules were simple. Five minutes were allotted. A stopwatch employed. The Niagara Falls honor guard would stand watching each contestant to make sure they ate the whole donut, fully swallowed it, then recorded the count one donut at a time. Officer John Petrishin was referee and timekeeper.

It had been interesting to watch - as they stepped into place and reached -- carefully avoiding the jelly-filled and cream-filled entries and going instead for all-doughy confections.

One contestant, Tom Clapp, his jaw muscles straining, had five and was reaching for a sixth. Dave Rodriguez, his face growing stern and cold, gobbled six when the five minutes elapsed.

There was pride in Ewings’ bearing, a smile on his face. Ewing had hogged down seven – and was reaching for his eighth.
Overlooked amongst the men were two teenage boys, Cameron Miller, 14, and his brother Chris. The Honor Guard, solemn and melancholy, announced the lads had each gobbled down seven donuts, tying Ewing.

There was a provision for the breaking of a tie. Referee Petrishin could select a single donut and declare the winner to be whoever of the three could eat it first. He selected an apple fritter from DeCamillio’s bakery.

Man and boys waited as did the crowd, in baited silence. Cameron looked queasy. Defiance gleamed in Ewing ’s eye, a sneer on his lips.

Petrishin called the start and within a second Ewing had the apple fritter in his mouth and was in the act of swallowing. Cameron lagged behind but took bites of the fritter in installments.

All eyes were on Ewing but while dough was still half in his mouth and half split down his gullet and esophagus, the Honor Guard called halt.

Ewing was still gulping. Chris was munching, a little slowly. Cameron opened his mouth- empty! Only a few moist crumbs rested on his lips.

There is a new donut-eating champion in Niagara Falls and he’s not a cop. And the trophy rests far from where it rested for so long. The lad who won looked uncomfortable and was told he could find a secluded spot if he felt too sick.

Ewing looked lean and hungry and said he was ready for lunch. Remaining donuts were distributed to the crowd.

 

 

Niagara Falls Reporter www.niagarafallsreporter.com July 03 , 2012