It promises to be a wild time in Brooklet Saturday as one of five people are selected to grab as many groceries as they can in 60 seconds.
The Statesboro Herald's Third Annual 60-Second Grocery Grab contest is set for 10 a.m. Saturday at Ken’s IGA in Brooklet.
Four people will walk away with a $50 gift certificate from Ken’s, but the one lucky winner drawn from the five finalists will have 60 seconds to grab as many groceries as possible before time runs out.
Of the 10 finalists in the first two years, only one man was selected. This year, four of the five finalists are men
Finalists are Mark Durden, of Black Creek Church Road, Brooklet; J.C. Warren, of Jenks Hill Road, Sylvania; John Wayne Darden, of North Main Street, Statesboro; Stewart Bennett, of Bennett Lane, Brooklet and Madaline Hendley of Nevils-Denmark Highway in Brooklet.
All expressed excitement at the chance to fill a grocery cart full of food. Some have plans, others said they will play it by ear.
“I have no idea until I get there,” Hendley said. “I guess I’ll get a buggy and start grabbing.
Durden said he doesn’t know what he will do – “Frozen foods, maybe cat food?” he said. “I’m so excited I just don’t know.”
It will be a new adventure for Warren, “I plan to go and fill my buggy up. I’ll go early and scout it out – I haven’t ever been there before.”
Bennet has won a grocery grab before in Atlanta and is not new to the game. He also knows Ken’s IGA, as he is a regular customer. “I’ll fil it up as much as I can, fast as I can,” he said.
Darden said he has prayed over it, and will “Run and get as many groceries as I can. I will keep myself concentrated and start from the front and get as much as I can.”
Statesboro Herald Operations Manager Jim Healy said more than 2,000 entries, over double the number that were submitted in 2015, were submitted between July 13 and Aug. 19, the deadline for the drawing. “People filled out entry forms found in the Herald and dropped them into a box at the newspaper office or at Ken’s in Brooklet. One name was drawn each week and became a finalist to win the Grocery Grab shopping spree,” he said..
Whitney Deal Barnwell of Brooklet was the 2015 winner and loaded her cart with $298.25 worth of goodies.
Janina Jones of Statesboro was the 2014 winner. She went exclusively for meat and frozen seafood and rang up a whopping $557 worth of groceries.
Most contestants admit they will head for the meat department.
“I’ll start from the front and then go for the meats,” Darden said. “It would mean so much - my family is having a rough time and this will help.”
Bennet said he will head for meat if he wins the chance to grab groceries. “But, it is a lot of fun, not just about how much you get.”
Durden said he has never won anything before. “This will help us a lot because times are tough.”
Hendley, the sole female contestant this year, also said the grab – or the $50 gift certificate she will win even if not selected from the five finalists – will come in handy. “We’re out of meat around here so I’ll go for the meat.”
Warren plans to head for the meat department too. “I have to get there and make sure I have a good rolling buggy.”
The contestants will gather at 10 a.m. at Ken’s IGA for the drawing.
"We really appreciate Ken's allowing us to use their store for the Grab," Healy said. "We thought this would be a popular contest, and it will be a lot of fun Saturday to see how much the winner can pack into his or her cart.”
Herald Reporter Holli Deal Saxon may be reached at (912) 489-9414.