Pictured: Thirty adults, the maximum number allowed, participated in Saturday's contest. Photo courtesy of Rise and Nyes.

Rise & Nye’s, the local coffee and ice cream shop run by people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, hosted its second ice cream eating championship on November 12th in front of the shop at 1534 State St. in downtown Sarasota.

"The Fall 2022 Edition of Rise & Nye’s Great Ice Cream Eating Championship was a giant success and a big scoop of fun, too," according to Beaver Shriver, co-founder of Rise & Nye’s. Thirty adults and five youth “athletes” competed in a 3-minute ice cream eating sprint. The crowd was cheering, the ref was refereeing, the fog machine was fogging, all while the competitors were devouring double scoop cups of delicious house-made Rise & Nye’s ice cream.

Leila, the youth winner, polished off two-plus cups (there was an official weigh-off to break a tie), and Aaron the adult champ wolfed down seven double-scoop cups. “It was all very exciting and kind of frightening at the same time,” recalls Shriver.

Troy and Heidi from Crown Trophy of Sarasota donated a UFC-type champions' belt and a Mr. T-style bling chain for the trophies. And the winners received an array of fabulous prizes including Rise & Nye’s swag, and a dinner cruise for two on the Marina Jack II. And for the cherry on top, the youth winner gets to develop her own ice cream flavor with Chef Christian Nye, make the ice cream to sell at Rise & Nye’s and be a “Celebrity Scooper” for the ice cream’s debut.

This event serves as a fundraiser and awareness builder for Inclusion Revolution (TheInclusionRevolution.org), the supporting nonprofit for Rise & Nye’s. The next Great Ice Cream Eating Championship will be held at Rise & Nye’s on May 20, 2023 — better start training now!

Pictured: Thirty adults, the maximum number allowed, participated in Saturday's contest. Photo courtesy of Rise and Nyes.

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