CHICAGO, Ill. (August 13, 2015) – More than 3,200 Ball Park Park’s Finest™ frankfurters later, a new GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title was set for the Longest barbecue marathon by a team as the Ball Park® brand grill team, led by Food Network celebrity chef Tyler Florence and two consumer contest winners, grilled for 34 hours and 35 minutes straight, shattering the existing 30 hour record. The non-stop “Finest Grillathon” unfolded in New York City’s Gansevoort Plaza, where consumers tuned in via livestream on www.BallParkBrand.com or the social media app Meerkat to watch Florence and team go the distance. GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS officials chronicled the Ball Park brand challenge, a history-making maneuver that was previously set by a bunch of British blokes earlier this year.
“Dogged determination got us to the finish line,” said Tyler Florence, who kept the grillers and crowd energized throughout the event. “GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS was clear that to set a new record we had to man the grills the entire time with at least five different food items, hot dogs of course. Nobody slept but we definitely ate.”
Throughout the event, the Ball Park brand grill team and Tyler Florence entertained the audience, both in-person and online, with a steady stream of grilling tutorials, tips and unique hot dog mashups. Passersby were treated to Ball Park Park’s Finest frankfurters fresh from the grill – the brand’s premium line of hot dogs made with 100 percent beef and no artificial preservatives, flavors, colors or fillers, and no nitrates or nitrites added*. Additional grilled fare was donated to City Harvest, the world’s first food rescue organization which today is dedicated to helping feed the nearly 1.4 million New Yorkers facing hunger.
“This was crazy fun,” said Tamara Elliott, Ball Park brand senior brand manager, who helped distribute grilled Ball Park Park’s Finest frankfurters to passersby. “Grilling as a sport is an interesting concept. Lots of grilling enthusiasts will be in training for Labor Day, which is one of the top three grilling holidays in terms of hot dog sales.”
The Ball Park brand grill team, comprised of Andrew Battistelli of Clinton, TN and Susan Bulloch of Lehi, UT, were selected to participate in the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS challenge based on videos they submitted to The Finest Grillathon contest hosted by Ball Park brand and Food Network showcasing their all-star grill skills.
The barbecue marathon was viewable to consumers nationwide from a livestream hosted on www.BallParkBrand.com in addition to rich media banners across Scripps Networks and on www.FoodNetwork.com.
For more information on Ball Park Park’s Finest frankfurters and the entire Ball Park brand product portfolio, visit www.ballparkbrand.com or check out the brand on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
About Ball Park Brand
The Ball Park brand was launched in 1957 in response to a request from the owner of the Detroit Tigers baseball team. The Ball Park frank was such a success, it was expanded nationally. Today, Ball Park products can be found in supermarkets, convenience stores and a variety of sports venues - including Detroit's Comerica Park. For more information, visit www.ballparkbrand.com.
About Tyson Foods, Inc.
Tyson Foods, Inc. (NYSE: TSN), with headquarters in Springdale, Arkansas, is one of the world’s largest food companies with leading brands such as Tyson®, Jimmy Dean®, Hillshire Farm®, Sara Lee®, Ball Park®, Wright®, Aidells® and State Fair®. It’s a recognized market leader in chicken, beef and pork as well as prepared foods, including bacon, breakfast sausage, turkey, lunchmeat, hot dogs, pizza crusts and toppings, tortillas and desserts. The company supplies retail and foodservice customers throughout the United States and approximately 130 countries. Tyson Foods was founded in 1935 by John W. Tyson, whose family has continued to lead the business with his son, Don Tyson, guiding the company for many years and grandson, John H. Tyson, serving as the current chairman of the board of directors. The company currently has approximately 113,000 Team Members employed at more than 400 facilities and offices in the United States and around the world. Through its Core Values, Code of Conduct and Team Member Bill of Rights, Tyson Foods strives to operate with integrity and trust and is committed to creating value for its shareholders, customers and Team Members. The company also strives to be faith-friendly, provide a safe work environment and serve as stewards of the animals, land and environment entrusted to it.
*Except those naturally occurring in celery juice
Contact: Ashley La Croix, Tyson Foods, Inc., +1.312.614.8732
Amanda Ruppelli, MWW, +1.201.806.3139
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