Day-Lee Foods Will Donate Thousands of Pounds of Food to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank
LOS ANGELES–(BUSINESS WIRE)–On Saturday, August 17, the 13th Annual Day-Lee Foods World Gyoza Eating Championship—the West Coast’s premiere eating competition—will host Major League Eating’s top competitive eaters, where they will devour as many Day-Lee Pride gyoza (Japanese potstickers) as possible in 10 minutes.
In 2018, Joey “Jaws” Chestnut held on to his title as Gyoza World Champion, consuming 359 gyoza in competition. Geoffrey Esper took 2nd with 297, and Darron Breeden took 3rd with 232. Matt “Megatoad” Stonie and Adrian Morgan rounded out the top five finishers, eating 222 and 205 gyoza, respectively. Miki Sudo was the top female competitor, consuming 192 gyoza and finishing in sixth place overall.
Competitors will be vying for a $6,000 cash purse. This year’s roster will include Chestnut (ranked #1 by Major League Eating [MLE]), Matt Stonie (#3), and Darron Breeden (#4), as well as the UK’s top-ranked eater Adam Moran (#13). The lineup will also feature: Michelle Lesco (#10), Matt Hazzard (#11), George Chiger (#12), Juan Rodriguez (#14), Derek Jacobs (#15), Rich LeFevre (#19), Juan Neave (#20), Eric Booker (#21), Steve Hendry (#22), Pablo Martinez (#23), Sarah Reinecke (#26), and Derek Hendrickson (#34). Former NHL’er and current Los Angeles Kings radio color commentator Daryl Evans will be making a special appearance, rolling up his sleeves and downing gyoza in the main event, as well.
Day-Lee has been making their famous high-quality gyoza with generous filling, less dough, and no MSG for decades. Day-Lee Foods—who also makes a line of authentic, premium-quality Asian food—will again partner with the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank and donate a case of product for every plate of 25 gyoza consumed in the contest. For every pound of gyoza eaten, 20 pounds of food will be donated to help alleviate hunger in Los Angeles. “Day-Lee is very excited about this ongoing partnership and the opportunity to give back to the community,” said Craig Jaunzemis, Director of Marketing at Day-Lee Foods.
Taking place during the 79th Los Angeles Nisei Week Japanese Festival, the eating championship is hosted by the Nisei Week Foundation and sanctioned by MLE and the International Federation of Competitive Eating (IFOCE). The main event will take place at the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center (JACCC) Plaza in Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo district. The JACCC Plaza is located at 244 S. San Pedro Street, LA, CA 90012. The main event will commence at 3:00 PM following the Far Bar Little Tokyo Gyoza Chowdown amateur contest at 2:00 PM, the Crazy Cuizine Ninin Baori Challenge at 2:15 PM, and the LAPD vs. LAFD Gyoza Showdown at 2:30 PM.
“Our eaters have been competing in the Day-Lee Foods World Gyoza Eating Championship for 13 years,” said Rich Shea, president of Major League Eating and the International Federation of Competitive Eating (IFOCE). “The roster is always impressive, the crowd is always great, and the gyoza are always delicious. We witnessed Joey set a world record of 384 gyoza in 10 minutes in 2014 and are eager to see it broken.”
Admission is free; limited seating and ample standing room will be available. Additional information can be found online at Facebook (/GyozaChampionship), Twitter (@EatMoreGyoza), and Instagram (@EatMoreGyoza).
About Day-Lee Foods, Inc.
Day-Lee Foods, Inc., a leader in authentic Asian cuisine, manufactures two frozen food brands for retail and foodservice customers: Day-Lee Pride, a line of six different types of gyoza found in Asian and Japanese grocery stores throughout the U.S.; and Crazy Cuizine, a line of premium-quality Asian classics such as Mandarin Orange Chicken, Teriyaki Chicken, Korean BBQ, and Chicken & Pork Potstickers.
About the Day-Lee Foods World Gyoza Eating Championship
The Day-Lee Foods World Gyoza Eating Championship is hosted annually by the Nisei Week Foundation at the Los Angeles Nisei Week Japanese Festival and sanctioned by Major League Eating (MLE) and the International Federation of Competitive Eating (IFOCE). Since 2006, the contest has quickly become a marquee event on the MLE calendar, attracting the best of the best to see who can eat the most Day-Lee Pride gyoza in 10 minutes.
About the 2019 Los Angeles Nisei Week Japanese Festival
The Nisei Week Japanese Festival is recognized as one of the longest-running ethnic festivals in the United States. It is a nine-day event that spans two weekends and celebrates Japanese and Japanese American culture with exhibitions, demonstrations, entertainment, food, and fun. All proceeds benefit the Nisei Week Foundation, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) charitable organization. The 2019 festival will take place in Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo district from August 10-18. For more information, visit NiseiWeek.org.
Contacts
Media Contact:
Danielle Caldwell
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