Momma Dietz to be Honored During Ocean City's Mr. Mature America Pageant

Ruth Eni, the Chair and Chief Executive of Dietz and Watson, will be honored during this year’s Mr. Mature America Pageant on March 28.

Eni, affectionately known as “Momma Dietz,” will be thanked for her company’s support, which includes providing all the t-shirts and banners for the Doo Dah Parade, as well as the hot dogs for the parade’s participants.

“This support has been a major factor in the longevity of the parade,” Ocean City Public Relations Director Mark Soifer said.

Dietz and Watson has been the major sponsor of the Doo Dah Parade since its inception 30 years ago. This year’s parade is scheduled for April 11.

The company has also sponsored the Mr. Mature America Pageant for the first two years of its existence.

Eni joined the family business after graduating from the University of Pennsylvania. She had already been tasting and perfecting new recipes with her father from the time she was a teenager.

She helped transform Dietz and Watson from a small family business into a nationally known company.

Dietz and Watson was among the first to accommodate health-conscious people when it introduced Gourmet Lite, low salt, low fat meals in the 1970s. Eli has been responsible for all of the company’s 450 product launches, Soifer said.

Also lined up for the Mr. Mature America Pageant are singers, instrumentalists, an oral presentation and three special, senior guest performers.

Special guests include Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Drummer Dick Richards, of Haley’s Comets, and his band playing Shake, Rattle and Roll; famed Blues Performer Bubba Mac; and Ms. Senior New Jersey America Diane Beebe.

Pageant tickets are $10 with proceeds benefiting the Ocean City Ecumenical Council Community Food Cupboard. Tickets are available at the Information Center, Ground Floor of City Hall, 9th Street entrance seven days a week, by accessing www.ocnj/boxoffice, or at the door. Call 609-399-6111, ext. 9300 for information.

The City is still accepting entries for the Doo Dah Parade.

To enter, call 609-399-6111, ext. 9300 or email msoifer@hotmail.com.

The attached image was provided by Ocean City Public Relations Director Mark Soifer