Johnsonville Sponsors the 2017 Chicago Polar Plunge and #FirstBrats Contest

Hello, Spring? Are you there? It sure seems like it because lately we have been enjoying some GORGEOUS weather! I’m glad that we are finally leaving behind winter and getting into the warmer months because that means one thing – it’s time to start firing up the grill! There’s nothing I love more than a warm day and the smell of meat grilling in the air. The folks over at Johnsonville didn’t wait for warmer weather though – they recently partnered with the Special Olympics in sponsoring the 2017 Chicago Polar Plunge!

Former Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher helped Johnsonville grill and serve bratwursts at Sunday’s Chicago Polar Plunge on March 5, 2017, in Chicago. (Jean-Marc Giboux/AP Images for Johnsonville)

To kick off the start of grilling season,  Johnsonville didn’t let the cold weather stop them and they sponsored the 2017 Chicago Polar Plunge. Shivering participants were able to warm up with piping hot Johnsonville #FirstBrats of the season, fresh off the burners of the Big Taste Grill.

The Big Taste Grill 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.

Former Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher helped Johnsonville grill and serve bratwursts at Sunday’s Chicago Polar Plunge on March 5, 2017, in Chicago. (Jean-Marc Giboux/AP Images for Johnsonville)

Former Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher helped Johnsonville grill and serve bratwursts at Sunday’s Chicago Polar Plunge on March 5, 2017, in Chicago. (Jean-Marc Giboux/AP Images for Johnsonville)

The Plunge is hosted by and benefits Special Olympics Chicago, which aligns directly with the charitable mission of the Big Taste Grill. If these extreme plungers are willing to jump in freezing water for a good cause, Johnsonville should be a part of it, as they don’t let weather get in the way of what they love – grilling brats.

Former Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher helped Johnsonville grill and serve bratwursts at Sunday’s Chicago Polar Plunge on March 5, 2017, in Chicago. (Jean-Marc Giboux/AP Images for Johnsonville)

It looked like such a fun event for such an amazing cause!

Johnsonville’s #FirstBrats Contest

If you love to grill, you will definitely want to enter Johnsonville’s #FirstBrats contest! One grand prize winner will receive snow removal or lawn care for a year, a value of $1,500! The contest 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.

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.

How will you share your love of grilling in the Johnsonville #FirstBrats contest? 

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