Wurst Challenge pits contestants against 20-foot-long bratwursts
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A fundraising event for children's art in Michigan has pitted participants with big appetites against 20-foot-long bratwursts that weigh close to 6 pounds.
Twelve competitors and hundreds of onlookers turned out Thursday night for the Wurst Challenge, raising about $7,000 for the FLY Children's Art Center.
Jesse Kranyak is a co-owner of The Wurst Bar and says he was excited to host the event at his restaurant.
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He says the restaurant contributed the bratwursts, two of them vegetarian and the others pork and beef mixes. New Holland Brewing Co. donated a keg. Blogger Mark Maynard helped organize.
The proceeds benefit FLY's Creativity Lab in Ypsilanti, a city of 19,000 that's home to Eastern Michigan University.
Among the brat-biting competitors were Mayor Paul Schreiber and university President Susan Martin.