The Rio Wraps Burrito Bowl 2007 held on Friday February 2nd was, in a word, crazy. Months of planning and preperation contributed to the success of the event. With the help of WDFN sports radio, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and all of our various sponsors, the event was just as packed as each of the 14 contestant's stomachs were.

The first annual Burrito Bowl had 14 hungry contestants all ready to compete for victory. Ten of the 14 contestants all won a preliminary burrito eating contest to advance onto the Burrito Bowl. Three other contestants earned a spot by winning on a WDFN radio show. And the last contestant was lucky enough to be pulled in the random drawing which was against everybody who signed up. All these contestants paid

their dues and many of them trained for weeks to be in top shape for an eating contest. But only one of them could be crowned the champion of the Burrito. This years victor is the Auburn Hills Prelim-a-MINI champion, Justin Swarbrick.

Justin pushed his stomach to the limit, literally, by stuffing down FOUR of our famous 16 ounce RIOriginal Chicken Burritos. It was a very close match with seven other contestants all on their fourth burrito, but only Justin was able to finish his before the ten minutes ran out. Not only has he earned unending fame as the conquerer of Burritos, but he has also taken home with him the Ultimate Fiesta prize package.

The Ultimate Fiesta is a prize worthy enough for any Burrito-Baron. By stuffing himself full of delicious Burritos, Justin took home with him the necessities to throw any great Super Bowl party. The Ultimate Fiesta included a Sony 50" LCD High Def TV, Surround Sound System, Foosball Table, 2 Klaussner Recliners, catering by Rio Wraps & PizzaPapalis, cash prizes, 12 ticket suite for a Pistons game, and setup by the WDFN promotions team and Fan Babes.

The Burrito Bowl was not just a spectacle of gluttony for everyone’s amusement; it was also set up to help a well-deserved charitable organization.  The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is committed to finding cures for leukemia and related diseases and improving the lives of those affected by these diseases. On the day of the Burrito Bowl and during the month leading up to it, Rio Wraps earned over $2,000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Joey Siliveri
Shelby Prelim Winner