From 1 to 4 p.m. at 170 River Road, the University of Georgia chapter of Alpha Epsilon Pi hosted its second annual hot dog eating competition, The Dog Off, supporting the Knox Martin Foundation for Brain Cancer Research.
Edward “Knox” Martin III was diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer, in September of 2017. Amidst surgeries and treatments, Martin graduated from UGA in spring 2020, shortly before his death in December of the same year.
“[Martin] loved his school, loved the Dawgs, and he lost his life after a long battle with brain cancer,” Riley Martin, Knox Martin’s younger brother and member of the Board of Directors and historian for the Knox Martin Foundation for Brain Cancer, said.
The Knox Martin Foundation supports brain cancer research at Duke University. To contribute to their fundraising efforts, the Alpha Epsilon Pi brothers dedicated their fundraiser and were joined for a second year by guest judge and the world’s top competitive eater, Joey Chestnut.
Alpha Epsilon Pi initially reached out to Chestnut through his agency. Now, after hanging out and getting dinner with the celebrity, the brothers have formed a closer relationship with him.
Last year, the event supported two philanthropies: the Sherry Strong Foundation and the Matthew Friedman Memorial Foundation. This year, Alpha Epsilon Pi wanted to focus on one cause.
The initiative to partner with the Knox Martin Foundation was facilitated by Ethan Sorkin, a senior at UGA, current warden and former president of Alpha Epsilon Pi. Sorkin’s father was diagnosed with glioblastoma two years ago, and last year, he got involved with the organization.
“I was super thankful that the guys were able to support this awesome cause, and help support me and my family as well,” Sorkin said.
At 1:30 p.m., the competition began. Six teams, Alpha Epsilon Pi, Sigma Nu, Phi Delta Theta, Alpha Gamma Rho, Sigma Pi and Pi Kappa Phi, each with four people, competed with a bracket-style system. Each round lasted five minutes, challenging competitors to eat as many hotdogs as possible.
Sparkle Lunceford, a security guard with Transcendent Security, supervised the event in case competitors choked or aspirated on the hotdogs. Luckily, her services were not needed.
“These guys push each other hard,” Chestnut said. “It’s fun, it’s exciting.”
