More than 50 members of Congress and over 1,000 congressional staff, meat industry representatives and members of the media today filled the Rayburn House Office Building Courtyard on Capitol Hill to celebrate July as National Hot Dog Month at the North American Meat Institute (Meat Institute) Annual Hot Dog Lunch. “For more than 40 years, Members of Congress have looked forward to our Hot Dog Lunch. Folks from both sides of the aisle come together to celebrate America’s love of hot dogs,” said Meat Institute President and CEO Julie Anna Potts. “The lunch is one of the most popular and anticipated events on Capitol Hill, as guests join us to celebrate this iconic American food in the company of major league baseball greats.”
Guests enjoyed more than 3,500 hot dogs, corn dogs, brats and other sausages from popular hot dog manufacturers including Boar’s Head Provisions Co., Inc.; Dietz & Watson, Inc.; Hormel Foods Corporation; Land O’Frost, Inc.; Smithfield Foods; and Tyson Foods, Inc. The Hot Dog Lunch is co-hosted by Rep. Collin Peterson (D-Minn.), Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee and Rep. Mike Conaway (R-Texas), Ranking Member of the House Agriculture Committee. The event is co-sponsored by the American Beverage Association, Hormel Foods Corporation, Kraft Heinz, International Bottled Water Association and SNAC International.
Baseball Greats in Attendance
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 are:
- Rollie Fingers is a former pitcher who played for the Athletics, Padres, and Brewers during his 17 year career. With the Oakland A’s, Fingers won three World Series titles, and was named the Most Valuable Player of the 1974 Series and in 1981 won the American League (AL) Most Valuable Player Award, and AL Cy Young Award with the Milwaukee Brewers. Fingers was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1992.
- Brady Anderson is a former outfielder and three-time All-Star who played for the Baltimore Orioles for 14 seasons. With 53 stolen bases in 1992 and 50 home runs in 1996, Anderson was the first player in major league history to achieve season totals of 50 in both categories. Anderson is a member of the Orioles Hall of Fame and previously held the position of Vice President of Baseball Operations for the Orioles.
- Ray Knight is a former corner infielder who played for both the Cincinnati Reds and New York Mets. Knight played third base for the Reds and is remembered by Mets fans for scoring the winning run of game six of the 1986 World Series, for which he was named Most Valuable Player.
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