all words and photos: Stephanie Breijo
ironic, à la Merriam-Webster Dictionary (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ironic?show=0&t=1320717959)
adj \ˌī-ˈrä-nik also i-ˈrä-\
1 : relating to, containing, or constituting irony
2 : given to irony
So maybe Merriam-Webster's dictionary definition of "Ironic" does you little to no good if you're unaware of the definition of "Irony"--and before you make a snarky remark about defining Irony on a site run by "a group of over privileged DC hipsters" --bear with me (and go fuck yourself if you're the one who made that post).
"Ironic" has garnered so much attention and negative connotation in its ties to "Hipster" culture (let's not even open that can of worms), that it almost seems rare to see it used in its most basic sense--that is, something other than and moreover exactly the opposite of a literal meaning. Luckily enough for the 50 people crammed into DURKL's HQ last Saturday night, the kind folks over at theINcrowd were clever enough to capitalize on the term in the most amusing way you probably can for a good cause; a junk food eating competition to fight... that's right...
First comes DURKL, a "high quality/low standards" DC-based clothing line. DURKL wants to throw an event with theINcrowd, an also-DC-based group of street-smart young adults. These kids happen to specialize in putting on shows, parties, etc.--typically free--but apparently they also specialize in having a conscience, which, let's face it, seems more difficult to find each day. theINcrowd decides a charity is the best route and launches its first donation-based event: EAT TO BEAT: WING & CUPCAKE EATING COMPETITION, wherein attendees shell out a suggested $3 at the door and witness some fairly incredible feats/hear some sweet beats (sorry, had to) compliments of DJ Spicoli of DCtoBC fame/enjoy samplings of ice cream (from Thomas Sweet of Georgetown), Red Bull, beer, and of course the same wings and cupcakes our worthy competitors destroyed (or were destroyed by, in some cases).
Roughly four dozen people packed in to see FIRST: a six-minute round of five brave souls destroying 14 cupcakes each and SECOND: a 10-minute round of 11 even braver, each slamming down 25 hot wings of increasing heat. But the most incredible aspect of the evening was not the hilarity of watching grown men cram enough meat/sugar/starch into their cheeks that they looked like chipmunk Wilford Brimleys. It was not the dance-inducing, lip-sync-rap-when-you-think-no-one-is-watching-you DJing. It was the fact that theINcrowd and DURKL raised roughly $300 entirely for the American Diabetes Association.
At a suggested donation of $3/person, they fundraised twice what they had expected to make, all to fight a disease which contributed to 231,404 deaths in 2007. According to the World Diabetes Foundation, that figure increased by 5.5% last year alone, which puts 2010's contributed-death-toll at around 244,131. It's also a disease that affects roughly 25.8 million people, an estimated 7 million undiagnosed. Scary, right? Yeah. That could be you. (Let's face it, it's probably me.)
But in case you missed one of DC's most phenomenal, gimmicky uses of irony for the sake of charity and raising a dime under a ruse of cleverness, you can always donate online. And hey! Until November 15, you can donate directly to the American Diabetes Association and they'll double your kindness until they reach $50k.... and then your kindness will just be normal kindness, but hey--don't let that stop you. Wilford Brimley wouldn't.
Previously in food porn:
- 5/15: NEXT WEEK: BYT + Art and Soul (FREE) Crab Boil Patio Happy Hour
- 5/9: James Beard Awards 2012-A Field Guide
- 5/7: Trucko de Mayo @ RFK Stadium
- 5/1: PHOTOS: Class Is In Session
- 4/23: This Saturday come to: CLASS IS IN SESSION - Amazing Food, Amazing Drinks, A Good Cause
- 4/19: European Eats: Provence & Parma
- 2/9: Valentine's Day is Made For Chocolates-A Handy DC/MD/VA Guide To Make The Most of It!
- 12/7: SILF: Sandwich I'd Like to F*ck
- 10/11: Taste Test: Station 4
- 10/6: Country Fried Bacon, anyone? Get ready for BACON WEEK @ Restaurant 3
God loves a cheerful giver.
Just wanted to say thank you to everyone that came out. it was a blast and we hope to have another one next spring. http://durkl.com
Thank you Stephanie and the staff over at BYT! Great article & I hope you all enjoyed the event
they only raised $300? it's great that they donated in the first place, but seriously guys, maybe next time spend a little less on the wings and cupcakes and put some of that money towards the cause
First of all, thanks to DURKL and Shay for putting on such a great event!
Secondly, I'm sorry, Cait--I did not mention that the wings were donated and cupcakes were baked by members of theINcrowd. Beer was provided by DURKL, so perhaps that was paid for, but to the best of my knowledge, most, if not all, of the food was free.
I would love for them to throw another one and raise even MORE--a fantastic first fundraising event and definitely a good sign that they're on the right path for bigger things. Nice work, guys
178228 @Stephanie: Cat*
Everything was kindly donated by the organizations involved. In keeping with the communal ideal patrons donated $3 at the door, so people were invested together to do something good. Thanks again to Wingos, Thomas Sweet, and Redbull and the IncrowdDC for their help time and talents.
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