More than 1,000 Capitol Hill lawmakers, staff, meat industry representatives and members of the media filled the Rayburn House Office Building Courtyard to celebrate July as National Hot Dog Month at the American Meat Institute (AMI) Annual Hot Dog Lunch on Capitol Hill. 

“The Hot Dog Lunch has been an annual AMI tradition for more than 40 years. The longstanding tradition is a testament to Americans’ love of hot dogs, a love that crosses party lines,” said AMI President and CEO J. Patrick Boyle. “Our lunch is one of the most anticipated events on Capitol Hill, and it’s our pleasure to provide our guests the opportunity to celebrate this American food icon in the nation’s capital.”

Guests left with full stomachs as AMI projected it would serve more than 3,500 hot dogs, corn dogs, pretzel dogs, brats and other sausages from popular hot dog manufacturers including Boar’s Head Provisions Co., Inc., Dietz & Watson, Inc., Hormel Foods Corporation,  Kraft Foods (Oscar Mayer), Hillshire Brands (Ball Park/Hillshire Farms/State Fair), Smithfield Foods, Inc., and Tyson Foods Inc. All uncooked or pre-packaged leftover food was slated for donation to Carpenter’s Shelter, a local food bank.

The 2013 Hot Dog Lunch was co-hosted by Rep. Frank Lucas (R-OK) and Rep. Collin Peterson (D-MN). The event was also sponsored by American Bakers Association, American Beverage Association, DIAGEO, Hormel Foods Corporation (Chili), International Bottled Water Association, Michigan Bean Commission, MillerCoors and Snack Food Association.

Baseball All-Stars On-Hand
Hot dogs and baseball are an American tradition and each year the Hot Dog Lunch pays tribute to this one-of-a-kind relationship.

Attending this year’s lunch to greet fans, sign autographs and enjoy some hot dogs were:

Lou Brock, Major League Baseball Hall of Famer and former left fielder from 1961 to 1979. Lou began his career with the Chicago Cubs, but most fans remember him for his long standing career with the St. Louis Cardinals. In 1985, he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. He was known for his record of stealing bases, which totaled 938, still the National League’s leader in career stolen bases. The Lou Brock Award, a National League award that honors each year’s stolen-base leader, is name in his honor.

Chris Chambliss, is a former Major League Baseball player who played from 1971 to 1988 for the Cleveland Indians, New York Yankees, and Atlanta Braves. From 2010 to 2012, Chambliss was the hitting coach for the Seattle Mariners. He debuted in the majors in 1971, and was named AL Rookie of the Year. Chambliss played first base and was known as a great clutch hitter throughout his career. During his time with the Yankees, Chambliss won the Gold Glove award for his fielding prowess and has the distinction of being one of two men who wore a Yankees uniform (player or coach) during each of the Yankees’ last six World Series Championship seasons prior to 2009.

Jim Sundberg, is a former professional baseball catcher known for being one of the best defensive catchers of his era. He played for a number of Major League teams, most significantly the Texas Rangers and Kansas City Royals, with whom he won a World Championship. Sundberg established himself as one of the top defensive catchers in the American League by winning six consecutive Gold Glove Awards from 1976-1981. He caught 130 shutouts in his career, ranking him fifth all-time among catchers.

National Hot Dog & Sausage Council Produces Brochure in Celebration of Hot Dog Month
In order to officially celebrate National Hot Dog Day, which also falls on the third Wednesday of July, lunch attendees from the media received a Hot Dog Facts, Figures, and Folklore brochure produced by the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council (NHDSC). The brochure includes answers to common questions such as how hot dogs are made and where the term “hot dog” originated as well as fun facts and data.

For more information about hot dogs and sausages, including a downloadable version of the brochure, visit the Council's website at http://www.hot-dog.org/ and Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/NHDSC. For hot dog videos including proper hot dog etiquette, visit our YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/hotdogcouncil.

Source: NHDSC