United Way of MPM’s Top Dog Contest

DUNCAN FALLS, Ohio – The United Way of Muskingum, Perry and Morgan Counties interacts with the community on multiple levels.   

This month they are travelling to area high schools to conduct hotdog eating competitions, where five graduating seniors face off against five faculty member volunteers in a five minute feeding frenzy, to not only help bring light to the organization and its many programs but to more importantly, earn bragging rights. 

“So we’re here at Philo High School today for the second of three hot dog eating contests being sponsored in partnership with the schools and the United Way of Muskingum, Perry and Morgan Counties. The reason for the contest is we have a very special partnership because the United Way cares about education, health and financial stability, and so do the schools,” UWMPM CEO Tracey Ballas said.

The first contest took place at John Glenn High School last week with the students consuming 30 hotdogs in addition to the faculty’s 16. The final competition will be held next Wednesday at Zanesville High School. 

“Not only is this competition today, the adults against the students, for the ultimate winner at this school but then we will add up the collective number of hotdogs eaten at each and every school. Whichever school district eats the most hotdogs becomes the Top Dog champion for 2025. And we hope that this will be a new tradition at the end of the school year throughout all of the schools in Muskingum, Perry and Morgan Counties,” Ballas said.

Philo High School took the lead today with the students consuming 33 hotdogs combined with the faculty’s 21; to take a 54 to 46 lead in the overall competition, all while raising the bar for Zanesville to beat.