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ALLENTOWN: On a wing and a dare

By Jenna Kunze, Staff Writer
ALLENTOWN — You can’t be a chicken to participate in Allentown High School’s annual gastronomic spectacle: The Wing Bowl Competition.
The buffalo wing-eating contest involving students and staff risks indigestion for glory and a good cause. All money raised goes to Operation Redbirds, which collects care package donations for Allentown alumni serving in the military.
Eleven contestants raised a minimum of $50 each to chow down in the fifth annual Wing Bowl before a packed house of students, teachers and administrators in the AHS gymnasium Feb. 2. Collectively, the competitors racked up an impressive $637 with junior Ali Hader Ismail earning special recognition for raising the highest individual amount — $138.97.
The enormous hype surrounding the Wing Bowl goes beyond the prospect of seeing classmates smeared in hot sauce. Half the fun is watching the contestants and their lively entourage of friends make a hilarious grand entrance.
Each group picks a theme and dresses their part. In a bit that set the audience on fire and won a first-place award, Teddy Meyer and his band of cavemen burst into the gym with Teddy chasing a student dressed as a chicken wing.
”The entourages are always more fun for me than the actual event,” said AHS Principal Connie Embley.
Contestant Aimee Lane declared, “I’m hungry, and I’m mean!” as she prepared to make her entrance.
Aimee, a senior whose theme was the presidential election, dressed for success in a white button-down shirt, pencil skirt and heels. Her entourage included two boys sporting a Secret Service look in identical black suits.
”I’m on my campaign trail for my new platform: ‘No wing left behind,’” Aimee said.
Three Allentown businesses — La Piazza Ristorante, Via Roma and Woody’s Towne Café — donated the 800 spicy hot wings for the event. Each of the 11 contestants received a plate of 30 wings to start and had five minutes to devour every piece of meat on the bones. Then, after a five-minute break, another plate of 30 wings appeared and had to be eaten within five minutes.
In the end, it was senior Teddy Meyer who won the Wing Bowl with a total of 34 wings eaten, a feat that amazed even him.
”For a second, I thought that I was beat because people kept coming up to me saying that I was slowing down and other contestants were keeping up,” Teddy said. “When I won, it was a nice surprise to know I overcame everybody else after all.”
Competitor Will Olexsak, a senior, devoured 27 wings.
”All in all, I think this is a great event that’s well worth the stomach ache,” Will said.