Over 300 people came to the Red Barn hungry for waffles as Auburn’s chapter of International Justice Mission hosted Waffles for the World with all-you-can-eat waffles, a waffle-eating contest, Prevail Union coffee and live music to raise funds for the rescue of human trafficking victims.
Local Waffle House employees fired up eight skillets and made fresh waffles for more than two hours on Wednesday, Nov. 4, while local band The Late Night Kravings performed.
Students visited tables geared with 6-pound jars of peanut butter, several 2-quart bottles of syrup and other toppings to customize their waffles.
Dana Henderson, district manager of Waffle House, said all of the waffles were donated to the event.
“This is something that we do in order to give back to the community,” Henderson said. “Anything with Auburn University because they support us so much.”
Thirteen male contestants participated in a waffle-eating contest to eat three waffles covered in peanut butter, chocolate chips, syrup and whipped cream.
Thomas Brooks, freshman at Southern Union State Community College, used his face rather than a fork and a knife to eat his waffles the fastest.
“I kind of just shoved it in my face,” Brooks said. “I feel like everybody was trying to cut it using a fork. I got chocolate all up in my nose."
Throughout the night, IJM raised over $1,700 in ticket sales compared to last year’s $500 total, according to Alana Broe, IJM co-president and senior in nutrition science.
All proceeds go toward IJM’s efforts to rescue victims of human trafficking, slavery and domestic violence, whether covering court costs, supporting lawyers and investigators or providing recovery resources.
“We generally highlight human trafficking because that to us is the most tangible form of injustice in our world today,” Broe said.
Waffles for the World began as an overheard conversation at the Glenn Avenue Waffle House, according to Hannah Lupas, co-president of IJM and junior in journalism.
A Waffle House employee overheard Lupas talking to a friend about IJM event planning and suggested she talk to a manager about getting Waffle House involved.
This is the second year IJM and Waffle House have collaborated to host Waffles for the World.
“It was like it was dropped in our lap,” Lupas said. “I swear [the employee] was an angel, because I’ve never seen her there again.”
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