MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif. -- Each Tuesday in May, Miramar’s Single Marine Program, or SMP, will hold a contest of edible proportions in the commissary parking lot in recognition of Commissary Awareness Month.
Marines can compete weekly in nutritional events, knowledge challenges, tug-of-war, races and eating contests while familiarizing themselves with the products and services available at the commissary.
“We are trying to make the single enlisted service members aware of the commissary and what is available to them,” said Johanna A. Jones, SMP coordinator, Semper Fit, Marine Corps Community Services here. “The program is focused on understanding what is available at the commissary and what healthy things single Marines can get there that they can cook in a barracks room or on the grills outside the barracks. Plus, there are smaller packaged items for single people at a cheaper price than out in town.”
Coordinators scheduled each Tuesday’s events during lunch time between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. for the convenience of the Marines, and teams can sign up at the events, according to Jones.
Tuesday’s competitions will each represent an international culinary tradition, and the commissary will provide free food to the participants. Each day features a knowledge bowl with questions about commissary services and products, nutritional facts, and Marine Corps-related subjects.
May 1, the SMP will host a taste of Europe with a speed circuit course and a World’s Strongest Shopping Cart race. The race challenges Marines to test their strength trying to push the heaviest cart to the finish line, while adding heavier items along the way.
Latin American dishes will bring spice to the commissary on May 8 with a pull-up competition and a scavenger hunt for teams of two. A blind-folded grabber will sit in the shopping cart while a cart-pushing guider will direct the grabber’s hand to the various items on the grocery list of nutritional foods.
Miramar sergeants major have volunteered to taste-test and judge the May 15 Asian sushi-roll contest. Marines will roll seaweed with goodies of their choice under the watchful eyes of the commissary sushi chef, according to Jones. The committee also scheduled a supermarket sweep and a Climb for Health up the food pyramid for the 15th.
“I’m really excited about it,” said Staff Sgt. Tryond Keller, co-chair of the commissary awareness committee. “I don’t know that I will try anybody’s sushi rolls, but I do like the idea of a scavenger hunt.”
The final Tuesday bout will celebrate American cuisine on May 22, with a pie eating contest and commissary-hosted barbecue. A Barracks Iron Chef event will highlight a dish made using barracks-approved cookware. Finishing off the month of culinary contests, finalists will duke it out in a tug-of-war.
“We were going to have a wing-eating contest, but those aren’t exactly healthy once you put all the barbecue sauce and hot sauce on them,” said Keller. “So instead, we decided to have a pie-eating contest because they do make healthy pies and our focus is on health.”
For additional information contact Johanna A. Jones at 858-577-6283.