DES MOINES, Iowa >> A giant misshapen Chee-to found in a bag of the cheesy snacks in Hawaii arrived safely yesterday in northwestern Iowa, where residents plan a special unveiling ceremony later this week. Big Chee-to arrives safely
in Iowa; ceremony plannedAssociated Press
The U.S. Postal Service delivered the Chee-to to KLGA-FM in Algona, where disc jockey Bryce Wilson, 24, helped obtain the lumpy oddity to become a tourist attraction. It is comparable in size to a small lemon, Wilson has said.
Chuck Shockley, the station's news director, said the Chee-to will be kept in a safe deposit box at the bank until Thursday's ceremony.
A sheriff's escort will take the Chee-to to Sister Sarah's Restaurant, a band will play and the mayor will issue a special proclamation, Shockley said.
Frito-Lay, maker of Chee-tos, has donated items to be auctioned at the event. Proceeds will benefit the Kossuth County food bank.
Wilson said he first learned about the big Chee-to on a Web site while he was trying to find silly news stories for his afternoon radio show.
Navy Petty Officer Mike Evans, stationed at Pearl Harbor, bought a bag of Chee-tos for his 3-year-old son and discovered the massive hunk of the cheesy food inside.
Evans tried to auction it on eBay, but Wilson convinced him to give it to Algona, a town of 5,700 residents, as a tourist draw. The town's current claim to fame is the annual display of a wooden Nativity scene carved by German prisoners of war during World War II.