Company hosts hot dog eating contest for its employees
Jul. 2—NORTHUMBERLAND — Team building took on a different look Friday afternoon, as Masonite employees prepared for a long holiday weekend with a hot dog eating contest.
The event in the middle Friday's shift was next in a series of events the door manufacturing plant in Point Township hosts for its employees.
"We try to do fun things throughout the year and we put this one together to have some fun with it," plant manager Jon Stroup said. "We're trying different things to recognize this great team, reward them in any way we can."
Friday's rules were simple. Differing from the popular July 4 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest, Masonite's employees were given eight hot dogs each. Whoever ate them the fastest was declared the winner.
Employees were aided by traditional hot dog condiments along with some water to drink.
Ahead of the event, workers were confident, including some whose "secret" plans were certain to earn one of the prizes, which included a Bluetooth speaker, a tent or a $75 gas card.
"I'm feeling pretty confident that I'm going to take these hot dogs down," John Barerra Jr. said. "My dad's doing it, a couple of my buddies are doing it. I'm just going to scarf them down. I don't have any concerns about them coming back up."
Willy Perocier's secret was his body type, he said.
"I'm gonna win," he said beforehand. "Being skinny and small, I've got a secret power in my stomach."
Perocier got about halfway through his order on Friday before fellow employee Chris Campbell chewed his way to the win. While some employees tried different methods — eating all of the hot dogs before the buns, multiple dogs at once — Campbell ate one at a time to win.
"I chewed them really quick, but it was one at a time," he said. "I'm full. But I just wanted to stay focused and keep going."
"We've got this heading into the long holiday weekend and everyone is having a good time, "said HR generalist Vito Karpeshov. "It's been another good event."
