Chowin’ down for the turtles

A group of people standing in front of a crowd - Food
There's bound to be a whole lotta feasting going on…this year's wing-eating competition at Cabana Breezes will be one of the best yet!

Wing-eating contest to benefit Turtle Hospital this Saturday at Cabana Breezes

There's bound to be a whole lotta feasting going on…this year's wing-eating competition at Cabana Breezes will be one of the best yet!

Grab the handy wipes and shield yourself from flying debris – the gluttonous gorging-fest to benefit Marathon’s Turtle Hospital goes down next weekend at Cabana Breezes on Key Colony Beach.

Here’s how it works.

Find three of your hungriest and most daring friends to complete your four-man team. A $100 entry fee gets you a high-top table to belly up to the challenge of downing 75 wings, 15 sliders and two pitchers of beer in the least amount of time. Entry fees include a free t-shirt, too!

Salesman, promotoer, local business ambassador, DJ and bartender Ryan Schraffenberger has organized the benefit for the fourth consecutive year and is challenging teams to beat the fastest time of 8.5 minutes recorded by the FIU offensive line.

These guys from the FIU offensive line recorded the fastest time of 8.5 minutes for downing two pitchers of beer, 75 wings and 15 sliders.

“It was pretty amazing, actually” he laughed. “Those were some big guys!”

While working at Captain Hook’s Dive Center, Schraffenberger said he was directly involved with a handful of turtle rescues at sea. After about 15 visits to The Turtle Hospital with visiting friends and family, he felt the facility deserved to be the benefactor of such a zany, community-based fundraiser.

Twelve teams have committed their skills thus far, but competition for the coveted title of wing-eating champs is limited to a field of 20 teams. Trophies, championship hats like those awarded each year to the best team in the NFL and gift certificates will go to the hungriest team.

The competition is fierce, and any team member unable to contain the grub will be disqualified. Four guest judges will be keeping an eye on the competition for time and proper consumption.

To register your team or for more information, please visit www.wingtournament.com or call (305) 433-1209.