2017 Chicago Polar Plunge

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Johnsonville. The opinions and text are all mine. 

Were you in Chicago Sunday? Did you hear all of the splashes into Lake Michigan’s frigid waters by brave souls raising money for the Special Olympics? Then you my dears were privy to the Chicago Polar Plunge antics on North Avenue Beach this semi warm day. But that’s not the real reason that I want to talk to you. I want to speak to those of you who are extreme grillers. You know, the folks who whip out their grills, and charcoal in the dead of winter, and fire them up! Is that you? If it is, you missed a great showing today as well. Johnsonville’s Spark the Season campaign kicked off in the best way. 

Mr. Houseful and I are grilling extremists, and we love nothing more than firing up our grill in the dead of winter, even if we have to shovel a path to the pit. We’ve cooked turkeys for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Roasted brisket for kicks and giggles for Sunday dinner, because nothing beats the smokey nature of meat cooked on an open fire. 

When Johnsonville invited me out to the Chicago Polar Plunge to check out The Big Taste Grill, which is a 20-foot tall, 65-foot long grill, which cooks 2,500 brats an hour or 750 bratwurst at a time on its 40 square feet of grilling surface. Their Spark the Season campaign was kicked of the right way with Bears beloved Brian Urlacher manning the grill! Dax Shepherd of CHiPs fame too. 

The Plunge is hosted and benefits Special Olympics Chicago, which aligns directly with the charitable mission of the Big Taste Grill. There were a TON of people ready to jump into Lake Michigan, even on a 60 degree day. We know here in Chicago that a 60 degree day does NOT a sauna make – especially in March. I’m pretty impressed by the willingness of people to jump into the lake for a great cause. I get crabby when my showers aren’t a toasty 85 degrees, or hotter.

To continue their support of the Chicago Polar Plunge, Johnsonville is sponsoring the #FirstBrats contest! 

Contest Period: The Contest begins at 12:00 PM Eastern Time on March 8, 2017 and ends at 11:59:59 PM ET on May 15, 2017.

THERE ARE TWO (2) WAYS TO ENTER:

Online: During the Contest Period, an entrant may visit www.FirstBratsContest.com, enter his/her email address, and follow the instructions to register by entering all information requested on the registration form. After an entrant has registered, he/she may follow the instructions to upload one (1) photo of his/her “first grill of the season”.
Social Media: During the Contest Period, an entrant may (a) log in to his/her Twitter or Instagram account, follow @Johnsonville on Twitter or @jvillesausage on Instagram (if he/she does not already), and post a Tweet/post that includes one (1) photo of his/her “first grill of the season” and the hashtag “#FirstBratsContest” or (b) log in to his/her Facebook account, visit Sponsor’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/johnsonville/, and post a comment responding to Sponsor’s Invitation Post that includes a photo of his/her “first grill of the season” and the hashtag “#FirstBratsContest.
One (1) Grand Prize winner will receive snow removal or lawn care for a year, a value of $1,500.

Following the Contest period, all eligible entries received during the Contest period will be judged by a panel of qualified judges selected by Johnsonville. The judges will score the entries according to the following weighted criteria: creativity, photo quality and relevance to the Contest theme (e.g., entry captures the passion for grilling even if the weather is not ideal for grilling).
Limit one (1) prize per person
There is a limit of one (1) entry per entry method per person per calendar day during the Contest period (i.e., an entrant may receive one entry each via www.FirstBratsContest.com, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook) for a total of five (5) entries per day.
Official Contest rules can be found at www.FirstBratsContest.com.