On Sunday, Jan. 27, Ziggy’s Island Market of St. Croix sponsored and hosted the 4th Annual St. Croix Johnny Cake Eating Championship and Raffle. This was a charity event to benefit the Boys and Girls Club of the Virgin Islands and the St. Croix Foundation. One hundred percent of all donations, raffle ticket sales, profits from food sales and contest entry fees were donated to the charities. Also, a portion of bar profits was donated, totaling almost $4,000.The event kicked off at 2 p.m. with Ziggy’s Island Market’s popular BBQ Pork, brats, mac and cheese and, of course, johnny cakes on sale.
The crowd was entertained by DJ Don Juan, dance and martial arts demonstrations by the Boys & Girls Club as well as horseback and donkey rides. The main event was the Johnny Cake Eating Championship. There were a total of 16 contestants in three divisions. Webster won the kids’ division with 3.5 johnny cakes eaten in the five-minute contest. Kimmy won her second title with 4.5 johnny cakes, after an exciting tie breaker. The grand champion and 4th annual St. Croix johnny cake eating champion is Austin, who broke the old record and set a new standard with 10 Johnny Cakes eaten. Kimmy and Webster both won Ziggy’s gift certificates. Austin walked away with his title, trophy and one johnny cake per day for the rest of the year.
After the eating contest was over, the raffle highlighted the rest of the afternoon’s activities. This year’s raffle featured thousands of dollars in prizes donated by dozens of St. Croix’s finest restaurants, stores and other businesses. Main prize winner Elsa won a $200 Ziggy’s Island Market gift certificate. The event was capped off by a rocking Ziggy’s Bigfoot Band performance and offerings from the Dogging for Dollars hot dog cart.
Ziggy’s Island Market thanks all the hard working volunteers, generous donors and the following sponsors: Caribbean Sea Adventures, Sea Thru Kayaks, Oil Genie, Blue Water Terrace, Bombay Club, Cheeseburgers, Coca Cola, West Indies Co., Kite St. Croix, Savant, Premier Wine& Spirits, Castaways, Cultured Pelican, Café Fresco, Bellow Int’l., St. Croix Foundation, Sports Plus Inc., Dogging for Dollars, DJ Don Juan and Cruzian Environmental.