National Hot Dog and Sausage Council Kicks Off National Hot Dog Month with Consumer Contest

The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council (NHDSC) estimates Americans will eat 150 million hot dogs on July 4 alone. The Independence Day weekend also kicks off National Hot Dog Month, a celebration of the iconic food. To mark the occasion, the NHDSC gathered several hot dog icons in a new series of videos to discuss their own stories about what makes hot dogs special to them.

“Hot dogs are so ingrained in our culture, but everyone has their own cherished history of why they love hot dogs, particularly those in the industry,” says  Eric Mittenthal, NHDSC president. “For some it’s all about time with family, while for others hot dogs help bring the community together. We’re thrilled to share those stories and inspire people to share their own with us.”

The NHDSC’s collection of hot dog stories include company CEOs and brand leaders such as Dietz and Watson’s Louis Eni, Ball Park’s Sara Shinoha and Usingers’ Fritz Usinger. Owners of iconic hot dog restaurants also participated including Ben’s Chili Bowl’s Virginia Ali, Papaya King’s Wayne Rosenbaum, Superdawg’s Scott Berman and Steamie Weenie’s Bob Remington. The videos also include James Cunningham, host of Eat St. on the Food Network; Mark Reitman, Professor of Hot Dogs at Hot Dog University, Los Angeles Dodgers executive chef Jason Tingley and drivers of the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile. More will be added throughout the month.

In addition to the stories from hot dog icons, the NHDSC is inviting hot dog fans around the country to submit their own videos sharing why they love hot dogs for a chance to win great prizes. Links to short videos (under 2 minutes) can be sent to [email protected] through National Hot Dog Day on July 14. The most inspirational and creative videos will be selected as finalists and NHDSC Facebook fans will chose a winner to be announced on July 25.

The grand prize winner for the best video will win a Go Sun Solar Hot Dog Stove, a $100 gift card for their favorite hot dogs, a copy of “Wurst of Lucky Peach: A Treasury of Encased Meat,” a National Hot Dog and Sausage Council T-shirt and bumper sticker. First runner up will receive a $50 gift card for their favorite hot dogs, the book, t-shirt and bumper sticker while the second runner up will win the book, t-shirt and bumper sticker.