UCONN’s Hot Sauce Challenge Raises $12,000 to Help Connecticut Kids

Drinking shots of hot sauce have played a key role in helping out Connecticut kids.

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Meet UCONN alum, Bryan Jackson, who decided to help the Huskies beat Marquette by swigging some Black Bison hot sauce while chanting, "U-C-O-N-N, UConn, UConn, UConn". Guess what? The Huskies came from behind and knocked off Marquette by a score of 65-54. Here's what Jackson told USA TODAY,

I saw that people were very down on Twitter and I just wanted to add some levity to the situation. I thought people might get a chuckle out of it. And the other aspect of it, it was kind of an offering to the basketball gods.

 

The challenge originated when numerous Husky fans began posting their own videos of themselves downing shots of hot sauce. The Husky Ticket Project caught wind of the hot sauce challenge, and that's when great things began to happen.

The HTP raises money to send disadvantaged kids to UConn football and basketball games. One of the Husky Ticket Project founders came up with the brilliant idea of modeling the Hot Sauce Challenge after the Ice Bucket Challenge, and that's when the cash started rolling in!

The challenge began to spread like wildfire. Each participant kicked in $5 for every hot sauce shot they swallowed, and within two days, the Husky Ticket Project had collected $12,000.

On a personal note, as much as I'd like to get involved in the Hot Sauce Challenge, it just so happens I have PTSD when it comes to any hot spicy food. Many years ago, I was the judge for a Suicide Wings Eating Contest at TK's in Danbury, and foolishly decided to try one of the suicide wings. What a dumbass move that was. It felt like the inside of my mouth was literally on fire, not to mention the heartburn! To this day, I'm not able to eat any super spicy food.