The Inaugural Cherry Stem Tying World Championship, hosted by Al Gliniecki, the world record holder, will begin at 2 p.m. July 17 at The Dock, 4 Casino Beach Boardwalk, Pensacola Beach.
Entry fee is $25, which includes a championship T-shirt.
Cash prizes will be awarded for 1st, 2nd and 3rd places in both a men’s and women’s division: $250 for 1st place, $150 for 2nd and $100 for 3rd. First-place finishers also will receive a champion belt, and 2nd and 3rd will receive trophies.
The event includes cherry-themed drink specials and chance drawings for prizes.
Proceeds benefit the Panhandle Animal Welfare Society in Fort Walton Beach.
Gliniecki, a Pensacola native, holds four Guinness Book of World Records for tying cherry stems into knots using only his tongue.
He and his wife, Jeanette Cooper Gliniecki, adopted their Chihuahua/whippet mix, Bambi, from the Panhandle Animal Welfare Society. The contest marks Bambi’s one-year adoption anniversary.
To register for the championship, go to https://cherrytyingchampionship.eventbrite.com
In-person registration also will be available from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. July 17 at The Dock.
Photo: EDWARDS, BRIAN