Washington D.C. — Capitol Hill staff, lawmakers, lobbyists, meat industry representatives and members of the media today will convene at the Rayburn House Office Building Courtyard to celebrate once again National Hot Dog Month at the American Meat Institute's (AMI) annual Hot Dog Lunch. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce designated July as National Hot Dog Month in 1957.
"The hot dog is an American and cultural icon," said AMI President and CEO J. Patrick Boyle. "Year after year, this social event on Capitol Hill, which is one of the most widely attended of the summer, is a reflection of the hot dog's unwavering popularity – on both sides of the aisle."
The crowd will not go back to their offices hungry. The 4,000 hot dogs, corn dogs, brats and other sausages expected to be served, if laid end to end, would equal the height of three Washington Monuments and are enough to circle the Capitol Rotunda four times.
Any uncooked or pre-packaged leftover food will be donated to D.C. Central Kitchen.
The 2010 Hot Dog Lunch is co-hosted by Rep. Collin Peterson (D-MN) and Rep. Frank Lucas (R-OK). The event is organized by the American Meat Institute and sponsored by American Bakers Association, American Beverage Association, DIAGEO, Hormel Foods Corp., International Bottled Water Association, MillerCoors, Snack Food Association and Unique Vending Carts. Hot Dog and Sausage vendors include Farmland Foods, Hatfield Quality Meats, Hormel Foods Corporation, Kraft, Kunzler & Company, Sara Lee, Smithfield Foods and Tyson Foods.
Baseball All-Stars On-Hand
Each year the Hot Dog Lunch pays homage to the extraordinary relationship and history shared by hot dogs and another American icon – baseball. Year after year, hot dogs are the top food served at ballparks.
Attending this year's lunch to greet fans, sign autographs and nosh on some dogs are three former Major League All-Stars:
•Ron Guidry, Pitcher, New York Yankees. Although Guidry won over 20 games three times in his career, he is remembered for having one of the greatest single seasons ever. He was 25-3 with a 1.74 ERA in 1978, won the Cy Young Award unanimously, and finished second to Boston's Jim Rice in AL MVP voting. Guidry set club records that year in strikeouts (248) and consecutive wins at the start of a season (13). He started the AL East playoff game on October 2, 1978, against Boston and won 5-4 in what was "probably the most tension-packed game I ever played in." Guidry was named TSN Player of the Year and Man of the Year and the Associated Press's Male Athlete of the Year, and made every All-Star team. His nine shutouts tied Babe Ruth's AL record for a lefthander.
•Dale Murphy, Center Field, Atlanta Braves. One of the most outstanding players of the 1980s, Murphy was the youngest player ever voted National League MVP back-to-back in 1982 and 1983. Known as perhaps the best all-around player of his time, "Murph" collected five consecutive Gold Glove Awards and garnered seven National League All-Star nods as the Center Fielder for the Braves. In 1983, he became the sixth player in MLB history to join the "30-30 Club," an elite group of ball players to have at least 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases in one season.
•Lee Smith, Pitcher, Chicago Cubs. Smith is a retired American right-handed relief pitcher who played for eight teams in Major League Baseball from 1980-1997. A native of Castor, Louisiana, Smith was scouted by Buck O'Neil and drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 1975 Major League Baseball Draft. In his 18-year major league career, Smith's longest tenure with any one team was with the Cubs, with whom he spent his first eight seasons. One of the dominant closers in baseball history, Smith held the major league record for career saves from 1993 until 2006, when San Diego Padres relief pitcher Trevor Hoffman passed his final total of 478. Smith was an intimidating figure on the pitcher's mound at 6 feet, 6 inches (1.98 m) and 265 pounds (120 kg) with a 95 mile per hour (150 km/h) fastball.
National Hot Dog & Sausage Council Unveils New Series of Placemats
In coordination with National Hot Dog Month, the National Hot Dog & Sausage Council unveiled a new series of placemats that are sure to be the talk of the table.
The series features four engaging, colorful themes: "Coloring with Frank Furter," a coloring page for kids that includes many favorite summertime images as well as a maze; "Hot Dog Trivia," a hot dog fun facts challenge for both young and old; "Hot Dogs Across America," an illustrated map of the United States with photos and descriptions of regional hot dog favorites and "Hot Dog Etiquette," a tongue-in-cheek guide about eating hot dogs with wiener style and grace.
For more information on hot dogs, and to download the free placemats, visit the National Hot Dog & Sausage Council's website at http://www.hot-dog.org/.
Source: American Meat Institute