Congratulations to all the eaters at this year’s Old Home Week. Russ Keeler gave the challengers a full minute head start and he still came out four pierogi ahead of the second-place finisher. The man is a bottomless pit. Fear him. Seriously.

Also, we’d like to extend a huge thanks to our sponsors, Dave’s Smoke Shop and Plumpy’s Pierogies, who once again supplied the buttery treats. Thanks sponsors!

Our eaters consumed 423 of Plumpy’s creations this year. The full results are after the jump. Click, my pretties! (more…)

“The Paradigm of All That Is Good.” “The Bastion of Hope and Love.” “The Man With a Giant Pierogi For a Head.” The Forest City Pierogi Man has been called all of these things, and this year our town can once again refer to him as “The Honorary Official of the Old Home Week Pierogi Eating Contest.” (more…)

OK, so we go on a little later this year. Big deal. What does that mean for you, a hungry fellow (or dame, if you will)? It means the sun won’t be shining in your eyes while you shove a mountain of buttery dough down your gullet. Get ready, because this is the real deal, people.

See the Pierogi Eating Contest page for sign up information and everything else you could possibly want to know.

Wow, what a contest! Thanks to all of this year’s eaters, volunteers and spectators. All of you helped to make this our best year yet! We’re going to get photos and video up soon, but without further ado, here are the results of the 2009 Old Home Week Pierogi Eating Contest!

Proceeds From Event Will Benefit Salvation Army

FOREST CITY, PA (July 16, 2009) — Organizers of Forest City’s annual Old Home Week Pierogi Eating Contest are proud to announce that proceeds from this year’s event will be directed to the Forest City Salvation Army Service Extension Unit. The Service Unit serves the greater Forest City area in providing food vouchers, an emergency food bank, back to school supplies and school uniforms, and an Angel Tree program during the holidays.

“We’re thrilled about the partnership,” said Pauline Wilcox, Director of the Forest City Salvation Army Service Extension Unit. “It’s great to have such tremendous support for a local charity.”

The Pierogi Eating Contest, which has drawn contestants and spectators from across the nation since its 2007 inception, will take place on Saturday, August 1st at 3:00 p.m. on the 500 block of Main Street, Forest City.

“It’s a fun event for the whole town, and we make a point every year of giving any remaining money we have to a local charity,” said contest co-organizer Jesse Graytock. “The contest is something that a bunch of friends from town thought up a few years ago and it’s great to see how it has taken off. We’re especially excited this year to be able to lend support to the Salvation Army.”

Proceeds from the contest will specifically be allocated to support the Salvation Army’s efforts to provide back to school supplies for local children in need. Additionally, contest organizers are asking those planning to attend the contest to bring non-perishable canned goods. The fan who brings the most canned goods will receive a free 2009 Forest City Old Home Week Pierogi Eating Contest t-shirt.

The Salvation Army Service Extension Unit is located at 636½, Main Street, Forest City, Pa. Questions about the Service Unit and its programs can be directed to Pauline Wilcox at 570-785-4292.

For Pierogi Eating Contest information and application materials, as well as a full schedule of events for Forest City’s Old Home Week, visit http://oldhomeweek.info.

From The Forest City News:

As has become an early August ritual in our town, the Pierogi Eating Contest will make its return to this year’s slate of Old Home Week activities. The event will take place at 3:00 p.m. on the afternoon of August 1 immediately following the parade.

For those unfamiliar with this spectacle, the rules of the game remain the same – participants will have ten minutes to eat as many butter and onion-drenched pierogi as possible. The top three eaters will get prizes, with the champion receiving a nominal cash purse. Entry into the contest is $15, with the number of entrants being capped at 25. All entrants will receive a fashionable 2009 Old Home Week Pierogi Eating Contest T-shirt. The shirts will also be for sale to the general public during OHW for $10.

Additionally, the contest will mark the return of Forest City’s favorite son: the Pierogi Man. Since ending his decades-long self-imposed exile at the 2008 OHW Pierogi Eating Contest, the Pierogi Man has embraced his role as a symbol for the proud folks of Forest City. Be sure to keep an eye out for him throughout the course of Old Home Week, as the News has been tipped by a reliable source that he may be making appearances at events throughout the week. Also be sure to check out the News in the weeks leading to the contest, as we’ll be running a multi-part exclusive interview with the Pierogi Man.

Pierogi Eating Contest entry forms are now available online at http://oldhomeweek.info. For more information about the contest, call the pierogi team at (570) 677-1248 or (570) 785-3326 or email them at pierogies@oldhomeweek.info.

Mrs. T’s has announced the nominees for the Capital of the Pierogy Pocket contest, and we’re in the running!

Forest City has real pierogi pride, and we hope to show off all the hard work and dedication that went into the pierogi eating contest this summer at Old Home Week.

So head on over to the Mrs. T’s voting form and show those other places that nobody beats Forest City when it comes to pierogies! You can vote once per day, every day, until the contest ends.

Tell all of your friends, and remember to become a fan of our Facebook page and befriend us on MySpace, where you can get all the latest pierogi news!