In honor of National Hot Dog Day, David O’Leary, Sue Tabb, and Kendra Petrone of Morning Magic on Magic 106.7FM shared how they like to prepare and eat their hot dogs. Check out their fun video:
https://magic1067.radio.com/blogs/kendra-petrone/video-honor-national-hot-dog-day
Fuddruckers in Saugus, Reading, North Andover and Methuen celebrated Fat Tuesday (the start of Mardi Gras) with its annual 3-pound burger challenge.
Contestants paid $24.99 for the chance to consume a 3-pound burger on a 1-pound bun with a pound of fries and a bottomless soda. Those that completed the task within an hour received a $25 Fuddruckers gift certificate and $5 from every entry fee was donated to the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Marathon Team.
Out of the 57 entries among the four restaurants, only five participants were able to complete the task. The contestants at the Saugus Fuddruckers fared the best with three winners out of the 13 entrees at the restaurant.
Jose Alvarado of Chelsea was the first contestant of the day and set the benchmark for all other contestants to meet, finishing with an astounding time of 38 minutes.
Despite strong completion from Michael French of Lynn, who just missed the mark by finishing in 40 minutes, Alvarado’s time held throughout the day and he received a trophy and bragging rights as the fastest finisher.
Nick Giannetti of Revere was the only other finisher with a time of 59 minutes.
The contestants used a variety of strategies in their attempts to complete the challenge.
Read the entire article on the Saugus Advertiser web site:
Burger lovers took on a big challenge for Fat Tuesday — a 3-pound burger challenge.
Meat eaters, burger enthusiasts, and those with a competitive side faced off at the Fuddruckers on Route 1, and in North Andover, Reading, and Methuen.
The contestants were tasked with demolishing a 3-pound burger patty and a 1-pound bun, a pound of fries on the side, and a bottomless soda in under an hour.
To put that in perspective, a large order of fries at Fuddruckers — and at McDonald’s — weighs about 150 grams, according to the fast food chain’s website. So, a pound of crinkle-cut fries is about three orders.
“The most popular size burger at the restaurant is a half-pound,” said David Thomson, a spokesman with Thomson Communications, the firm that represents the restaurant.
A 3-pound patty is six portions of the most common choice, he said.
“I compare it to eating a meatloaf,” said Thomson. “It’s huge.”
Participants who are able to finish the giant meal within an hour received a $25 gift certificate to Fuddruckers.
Read the entire article on the Daily Item web site:
DANVERS — When cyclists finish their rides on Sunday in the A Reason to Ride bike-a-thon for cancer research, they’ll be rewarded with a free cookout, courtesy of Fuddruckers.
Turns out, the restaurant is not just the presenting sponsor of the local charity ride. Over the past decade, Jim Boland, a Gloucester resident who owns four Fuddruckers franchises with his wife, Jan, has formed a deep connection to the ride — one that developed because of a friend who died from cancer in 2009.
Ten years ago, Boland saw a flyer for the ride, which benefits cancer research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. He called organizer Tom DesFosses, a Peabody resident and brain cancer survivor, offering to help — and nothing has been the same since.
“The ride wouldn’t happen without him,” DesFosses said simply.
Back in 2008, the Rev. Howie Rich of Danvers was diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer called glioblastoma. Rich, a retired health and physical education teacher at Danvers High, was also the the minister at Boland’s church, Union Congregational Church in Magnolia.
Boland was taking Rich for his chemotherapy treatments at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, under the care of neuro-oncologist Dr. Eric Wong, who was also Tom DesFosses’ doctor.
Boland recalls spotting a flyer for A Reason to Ride in an office there. What caught his eye was that the ride was supporting Dr. Wong’s research.
“The next visit with Howie,” Boland said, “we drive down. He’s getting his chemo, and Dr. Wong just happened to come in to check on him. And I said, ‘By any chance, are you Dr. Wong that is involved in this ride?’ And he goes, ‘Yeah, that’s me.’ And I said, ‘We would like to get involved somehow.’”
Brandon Gunnoe and 7News visited Fuddruckers in Reading to cover the annual 3-pound burger challenge. Proceeds from the event benefits the Martin Richard Foundation.
READING, Mass. (WHDH) — Diners at Fuddruckers in Massachusetts are working up an appetite Tuesday to raise money for the Martin Richard Foundation.
The challenge requires diners to eat a 3-pound burger on a 1-pound bun, plus another pound of fries. If they finish the entire meal in an hour, they get a $25 gift card to Fuddruckers.
Part of the proceeds for entering the contest goes to the Martin Richard Foundation. The charity helps local youth programs in memory of Martin Richard, the 8-year-old boy killed in the Boston Marathon bombing back in 2013.
The fundraiser is taking place at four Fuddruckers in Massachusetts. Each fundraiser features a runner who is running for the MR8 team in this year’s Boston Marathon.
Out of about 130 people who participated in the challenge, only seven were able to finish the entire meal.
Watch HOT 96.9’s Live Facebook Feed of the Fudds Spicy Chicken Tender Eating Contest.
James Boland featured in Gloucester Times
A Gloucester businessman has been honored by a statewide medical society for his support backing a cycling ride that has raised more than $600,000 for cutting-edge cancer research.
James Boland of Gloucester, who owns four Fuddruckers restaurant franchises in Massachusetts, was presented the statewide Audesse Award last week by the Massachusetts Society of Clinical Oncologists.
The award recognizes Boland’s and the restaurants’ sponsorship of A Reason to Ride, which was founded by Tom and Judy DesFiosses and has become a major fund-raiser over the last decade for cancer research and related programs at Beth Israel Deaconness Medical Center.
Boland was honored for his efforts to engage his employees, family members and friends in getting behind the ride.
He was nominated for the award by Dr. Eric Wong, who works as a neurologist at Beth Israel Deaconness.
Merrimack College students invited to try new menu items.
The restaurant, located across the street from the college, invited five members of the Student Government Association to sample the new menu items named in honor of Merrimack College. One item, the Merrimack Warrior, is a half-pound burger with American cheese, bacon and mushrooms. The Merrimack shake contains cookies and cream.
Several local newspapers ran stories about new menu items: