A local radio personality successfully defended his title as Mobile’s reigning crawfish-eating champion for a third consecutive year during Crawfish at the Courtyard, a charity fundraiser held April 3 at the Gulf Coast Exploreum Science Center.
The event, organized by the Exploreum’s Junior Advisory Board, raises money for Discover Science, a partnership between the Exploreum and the Mobile Housing Board that gives underserved children hands-on educational science experiences, including IMAX films, laboratory demonstrations and summer science camps.
In addition to an all-you-can-eat crawfish boil and live music, the evening’s centerpiece was a crawfish-eating contest that pitted members of Mobile’s media community against one another for bragging rights. Sean Sullivan of FM Talk 106.5 downed 51 crawfish in three minutes to claim the title for a third straight year, edging out WBLX’s second-place finisher, who ate 38, and a local newspaper columnist who rounded out the podium with 31.
Once the timed contest ended, contestants and spectators made short work of what remained on the table, ensuring little of the fundraiser’s signature dish went to waste.
The crawfish contest capped a busy stretch of charitable events across the Mobile area during the first weekend of April. Erin Go Pawfest, a benefit supporting the Friends of the Mobile Animal Shelter, brought pet owners downtown for Yappie Hour, a dog-friendly street party at Callaghan’s Irish Social Club on Saturday, April 7, despite an uncertain weather forecast.
That same weekend, the Green Dress Run sent runners and their leashed companions through the Oakleigh Garden District as part of the broader effort to support local animal welfare causes. Costumed dogs, including several dressed in green accessories for the occasion, turned out in force, and organizers said the event’s official T-shirts proved especially popular with participants.
The region’s spring charity calendar shows no signs of slowing down. Additional Mobile-area fundraisers on the schedule in the coming weeks include the SouthSounds Music Festival, the Little Black Dress Initiative, a Nick Saban appearance benefiting local causes, the Bald Eagle Bash and St. Mary’s Home’s annual Crawfish Extravaganza, giving residents plenty of opportunities to support area nonprofits before summer heat sets in.