Morning Call – May 4, 2005

Wing Bowl Upper Bucks Chamber Commerce

Dear Friends,

Good morning. Did you hear that Wing Bowl is coming to Quakertown? No, it’s not THE wing bowl sponsored by sports radio station W.I.P. that packs 20,000 screaming nuts into the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia. Unruly Crowds watch enormous people gorge themselves with chicken wings…ogle and cheer scantily attired “Wingettes” who encourage the eaters.

WIP’s Wing Bowl is free but the radio station makes tons because it sells beer and souvenirs. I’ve never attended Wing Bowl because I haven’t been able to convince any of my pals to join me. Besides, the event is held in the dead of winter plus you have to line up at 4 am to enter.

Fortunately, Quakertown’s version of Wing Bowl is in May and will have a less raucous atmosphere.

On May 17, the Upper Bucks Chamber of Commerce holds its annual “Business Expo” at the Quakertown Senior High School. There’s a Wing Bowl competition with 15 contestants, presently. “We’re hoping to have 20,” Deanna Mindler, the chamber’s Executive Director, told me. “I’m disappointed that we don’t have any female eaters yet.” Contestants have until May 6 to sign up. “If there’s an opening, I’ll be sitting down” [and eating],” she quipped.

“Frederick’s Poultry, the Wagon Wheel and the Upper Bucks Vo Tech Culinary Department will supply the wings,” she added. “Champion eaters can consume 150 wings within 15 minutes, so we’ve ordered 3,000 [wings].”

The chamber expects to draw a crowd of varying ages with over 70 vendors displaying their wares. “We have room for more participants,” Mindler continued. “A booth costs $350 for a chamber member, for non profits, it’s just $150.” The booths will be decorated and prizes awarded by a panel of judges. The event has an athletic theme. “Expo of Champions is its title,” Mindler said.

Swoop, the Philadelphia Eagles mascot will make an appearance from 4 to 5 PM. The Miller-Keystone Blood Center will host a blood drive from noon until 6 PM.

“Our big thing is bringing people out for the event,” Mindler noted. “We want to get as much exposure for our businesses as we can.” Quakertown high school is closed on May 17 so the chamber has the entire building at its disposal.

Wing Bowl, Upper Bucks Chamber of Commerce style, will be an attraction. I asked Mindler whether the chamber would have wingettes present to encourage the eaters and the crowd. More to the point, what will they be wearing [or not wearing], I wondered?

“The wingettes will be members of the chamber staff,” Mindler laughed. “We call them ‘chamber chicks.’ We’ll have to tone the dress code down for them,” she added. “There’ll be young children present so we must be careful. What will the ladies be wearing,” she mused? “It’ll be a surprise.”

Mindler is mindful of WIP’s Wing Bowl and the participants’ stage names. “We have competitive eaters too,” she said. “One of the chamber’s members is Wehrung’s of Ottsville. Two of their employees will do battle. Chris Norrdzy [a.k.a. Lion Hammer] and Jim Reiman [a.k.a. Fish Cheer] will bring the crowd to its feet.”

For the record, the chamber won’t have the likes of 317-pound El Wingadore [Bill Simmons] who won this year’s real deal with 162 chicken wings consumed. He beat the Black Widow [99 pound Sonya Thomas] last year’s champion by just one wing. Still, Mindler might be the secret weapon in spite of her diminutive size.

Stay tuned.

Sincerely,

Charles Meredith