I’ve always thought is was hilarious that the Coney Island Hot Dog Eating Contest is aired on ESPN as if it’s a sport. I mean, I guess the ability to shove franks down your throat at rapid speeds does probably take a lot of athletic endurance. Right? Personally I can’t watch it, all that meat and slobber just grosses me out.

Needless to say, the Hot Dog Eating Contest is perhaps a vegetarians worst nightmare, and this being conscious blog and all, my meaty talk isn’t probably appreciated by a good number of readers. But regardless of if it disgusts you or thrills you, the Nathan’s International July Fourth Hot Dog Eating Contest is a historical event that has been taking place for 94 years! Held at Nathan’s Famous Corporation’s original location in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York on July 4 every year, it’s regarded as the world’s most famous hot dog eating contest.

And Nathan’s Famous does it’s share to Takepart, by donating hot dogs every year to the Food Bank For New York City, a hunger relief charity that is part of the America’s Second Harvest network. Last year, they gave 100,000 dogs to the charity. Food Bank volunteers will also be present in Coney Island on July 4th, collecting donations from the crowd.