No contest prize better symbolizes American abundance than the classic "year's supply," which conjures images of winners with endless closets full of puppy chow, baking powder or floor wax.
But just what constitutes a year's supply? Should food contest entrants be prepared to feast on the same meal 1000 times in a row?
Not exactly, says Meghan Meehan, vice president of Ham I Am! Random House Children's Books and Dr. Seuss Enterprises tapped the Dallas-based meat purveyor to provide a year's supply of ham to the winner of a video contest marking the 50th anniversary of Green Eggs and Ham.
"It would work out to be enough ham for a year, technically, I guess," Meehan says.
Ham I Am! is anteing up a $600 gift certificate, which the winner can use however he or she pleases. According to prices posted on the Ham I Am! website, the prize could buy about six 12-pound whole hickory smoked and peppered hams, depending on shipping costs.
"A ham a month is a lot of ham," Meehan says. "They say the definition of eternity is one person and a ham."
Meehan suggests the winner should buy hams for Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter, and then "maybe order some bacon."
"You can't think of enough ways to eat ham," she warns.
It's common for food companies to liberally define a year's supply: The winner of a "best dad" contest sponsored by Oscar Mayer this year received 20 16-ounce packages of bacon, while General Mills awarded 12 boxes of Honey Nut Cheerios to each winner of its recent "year's supply" sweepstakes.
And woe to Dr. Seuss fans with hopes of winning a year's supply of green eggs:
"I tried to find them," Meehan says sadly. "Nobody ships eggs."
