Sydney Mershimer downs a hot dog during the “Holy Hot Dog” eating contest to benefit the Moniteau Area Food Pantry held Saturday at North Washington Fire Hall.

NORTH WASHINGTON — A Moniteau High School senior project turned into a big win for the Moniteau Area Food Pantry after two students raised more than $3,000 at a hot dog eating contest and fundraising event.

At the North Washington Fire Hall on Saturday, 205 people paid $2 each to watch 37 others eat hot dogs as fast as they could. Contestants paid $5 each.

“Whoever ate them the fastest won,” said Alexa DeMatteis of Boyers, who organized “Holy Hot Dog” event along with Jarrod Hull of West Sunbury. Both are seniors at Moniteau.

The food pantry at the Concord Presbyterian Church in West Sunbury serves townships in northern Butler County.

Contestants were divided into two age groups, 14 and younger and 15 and older, and by gender. Older, male contestants were given five hot dogs each to eat.

Winners in the 15 and over category were Dave Thiry, who ate five hot dogs in 2 minutes, 17 seconds, and Trish McCall, who ate four hot dogs in 2 minutes, 41 seconds. In the 14 and younger category, winners Kennedy DeMatteis ate four hot dogs in 2 minutes, 39 seconds, and Greg Sutton ate four hot dogs in 2 minutes, 41 seconds.

Winners in each category won a crown, a $25 credit card gift certificate, and a hot dog cooker.

“I just think it was something different so that people just came to see what would happen,” DeMatteis said.

Along with their mothers’ help, Dematteis and Hull arranged the contest, theme basket raffles, 50/50 raffles and food sales to benefit the food pantry.

“My mom really stepped in and helped us,” said DeMatteis. “They told us what we had to do,” she said, referring to Melissa DeMatteis and Karen Hull.

“I’m so proud of the kids,” said Melissa DeMatteis. “It is really nice that people came out.”

Melissa DeMatteis hopes the event raised awareness about hungry persons in their school district. To publicize the problem, signs with the numbers of students in the district who receive free and reduced-priced lunches were hung in the fire hall.

According to DeMatteis, 62 percent of children at Dassa McKinney School receive free lunches and another 8 percent receive reduced-price lunches. At the high school, about 30 percent receive free lunches and another 8 percent receive reduced-price lunches.

“People can’t believe that,” she said of the free lunches at Dassa McKinney. “They asked me if there was some kind of mistake.”