Catonsville residents gathered on Sunday at Catonsville Scoops for the second annual Scoops For Tomorrow ice cream eating contest, an event that raised more than $8,000 to benefit Believe In Tomorrow, a local charity supporting critically ill children and their families. The crowd of over 100 attendees watched as competitors consumed large quantities of ice cream amid 91-degree heat, demonstrating strong community support for the cause.

The individual contest winner, Josh Dunbar, consumed nine scoops of ice cream over a 10-minute period, surpassing 11 other participants. Dunbar, who was encouraged to enter by shop staff, said he planned to use his $500 cash prize to purchase concert tickets. He also noted his connection to the charity through a board member and expressed satisfaction in helping raise funds for Believe In Tomorrow.

Believe In Tomorrow, founded in Catonsville in 1982, provides respite housing near children’s hospitals nationwide, including accommodations for families at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center in Baltimore. Maryanne Davis, the charity’s CEO, described the ice cream eating contest as an ideal community event to raise awareness and support for the organization’s mission.

This year’s event featured a new addition, an ice cream eating relay race. Teams competed by having each member consume roughly a pound of ice cream before passing the turn to a teammate. The relay was won by a group of friends from Reliable Flooring Services, a local business. Team members Martel Massimini, Eric Swoboda, Michael Flynn and Adam Boer, all Catonsville natives, donated their $500 prize back to Believe In Tomorrow, underscoring their commitment to supporting both local enterprise and charity.

The fundraiser collected donations through participant registration fees, event donations, and merchandise sales, including T-shirts. Jon Reymann, co-owner of Catonsville Scoops, initiated the collaboration with Believe In Tomorrow last year to foster a community-centered event around the Fourth of July holiday. Reymann said the response has grown each year, with the event helping to “spread the message about Believe In Tomorrow” throughout the community.