Helicopter Dumps Hot Dogs Over Detroit

Hundreds of Hot Dogs Fell From the Detroit Sky (David Coates/The Detroit News)

Look, up in the sky! It's a bird, it's a plane, it's…a hot dog? Yes, 955 of them of them to be exact. In honor of the landmark American Coney Island restaurant's 95th anniversary, the restaurant teamed up with Detroit station 95.5 to host a hot-dog hoarding contest at Detroit's Hype Athletics Facility Wednesday morning.

According to American Coney Island Restaurant owner Grace Keros, 955 hot dogs weigh about 140 lbs. That's 140 lbs of  processed meat. Or as Seros affectionately corrects, "hundreds of specialty seasoned Coney Dogs."

Who couldn't pass that up?

About 100 Coney-aficionados flocked to the open field that the restaurant had rented to participate in a stuffing contest. Twenty-five of them then rushed around the field trying to stuff as many of the hot dogs on their person as they could in 95 seconds, stuffing them in their pockets, shirts, and who knows what other orifices.

The winner carried away $1,000 and American Coneys for a year.

"It was certainly a sight to see, " said Keros.

Keros is a third-generation owner and the first woman to ever own the popular restaurant. It was opened by her grandfather, Gus "Constantine" Keros, a Greek immigrant, in 1917. The chain sells thousands of hot dogs each year, according to Keros.

As part of the 95th anniversary, customers can buy their Coneys at a discounted price, for only 95 cents from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

And as for all those dropped Coneys, never fear. All the hot dogs will go to the Detroit Dog Rescue Organization.

It's a dog-eat-dog world out there.