GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — "Chaos."
Only one word is all you need. Whether you're describing FOX 17's first-ever Paczki Eating Contest or the scene inside Sandy's Donuts during Fat Tuesday week, "chaos" is the perfect choice.
"We're working around the clock yesterday morning," said Lindsy Jozee, the owner of Sandy's Donuts. "We have completely shut down seating."
It's all hands on deck ahead of Fat Tuesday, the last day many people eat fatty or sugary foods before Lent begins on Ash Wednesday. A staple of the celebration are paczki, which are sweet treats made with aerated dough, filled with different creams or custards in the middle and coated with sugar.
As you can imagine, this is a wild week for shops like Sandy's Donuts.
"Last year we did 36,000 [paczki]," Lindsy said. "I think we have surpassed last year."
To kick off the celebration early, FOX 17 Unfiltered held its inaugural Paczki Eating Contest. This year's participants included Lindsy, of course, alongside Michelle Dunaway (Morning Mix anchor), Matt Witkos (nightside reporter), Sam Landstra (5 p.m. show producer) and your host, Max Goldwasser.