Winchell's Donuts Draw Eaters

Santa Ana, CA, September 9, 2004 – A star-studded lineup of competitive eating champions will converge in Los Angeles, CA on Wednesday, September 22, for the Winchell’s World Donut Eating Championship. The winner will receive $1,500 and the ultra-prestigious title of Winchell’s World Donut Eating Champion. The winner-take-all contest will be held at the Los Angeles County Fair on the Shopping Plaza Stage at 7:30pm.

The contest marks the culmination of the Winchell’s World Donut Eating Championship circuit, which included qualifying contests at the San Diego County Fair and Orange County Fair. The top competitors from those events, which were won by ‘Jalapeno’ Jed Donahue (30 ½ Donuts in eight minutes) and Don ‘Moses’ Lerman (28 Donuts in eight minutes), earned spots in the World Championship.

Included in the heralded field will be a number of America’s top-ranked eaters, including reigning World Donut Eating Champion Eric ‘Badlands’ Booker, World Chili Eating Champion Rich ‘The Locust’ LeFevre, World Kolache Eating Champion Ray ‘The Bison’ Meduna, and ‘Jammin’ Joe LaRue, the #7 ranked eater in the entire world.

“The Winchell’s World Donut Eating Championship is one of the most important events on the competitive eating circuit,” said Rich Shea, president of the IFOCE. “With the roster resembling a veritable ‘Who’s Who’ of competitive eating champions, this title is really up for grabs.”

The contest will be held on ‘College Night’ of the LA County Fair, drawing on the sport’s popularity amongst this demographic. There are still spots available specifically for college students to compete, and those interested who are 18 years and over can email donuts@ifoce.com or call (212) 627-5766 to register.

“Winchell’s is thrilled to sponsor the 2004 World Donut Eating Championship,” said Ira James, Vice President of Marketing for Winchell’s Donuts. “We share the L.A. County Fair’s enthusiasm in bringing this exciting brand of athletic entertainment to Southern California.”

Headquartered in Santa Ana, Winchell's Donut House, "Home of the Warm 'n Fresh Donut™," is the West Coast's largest donut chain with roughly 200 units in 12 states, plus locations in Guam, Saipan, New Zealand, and Saudi Arabia. With more than 70 varieties of Warm 'n Fresh™ donuts and bakery products, Winchell's offers customers a diverse menu that includes: donuts, cinnamon rolls, muffins, bagels, croissants, brownies and cookies. To locate the Winchell’s nearest you, visit www.winchells.com or call 1-866-MY-DONUT.

The IFOCE, the governing body of all stomach-centric sports, conducts more than 70 events annually, including the Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest in Coney Island, NY. The competitive eating community, which numbers more than 3,000 veteran and rookie athletes, travels the nation in search of top titles such as the Winchell’s World Donut Eating Champion.