Southern Nebraska Register
St. Anne Parish in Campbell hosted a new fundraiser March 5: the first “Grocery Grab,” held at Hometown Market in Red Cloud.
One lucky winner got $500 worth of groceries, and the small parish launched its new venture with joy and enthusiasm.
The fundraiser was the idea of parishioner Gwen Meline. Raffle tickets were sold for chances to win the “Grocery Grab,” and St. Anne’s Altar Society funded the prize. The winner received a five-minute shopping spree, to select items up to $500 at Hometown Market.
Shop owners Danny and Val Benge closed the store early the day of the spree, and had the market's shelves fully stocked and ready for the event.
The raffle had some rules – the purchaser of the ticket had to be the shopper, and over 18 years of age. The shopper had a total of five minutes to shop, with only one minute permitted in the meat department. Alcohol and cigarettes were prohibited. If the items chosen totaled more than the $500 limit, the shopper had the option to purchase the additional items personally.
St. Anne’s CCD students drew the winning name: Kathy Parr of Roseland, who said, “This is the first time I have ever won anything!”
She conducted her shopping spree with family members present to cheer her on. Before the spree began, owner Danny Benge asked Parr what music she liked, and played 60’s music through the store at her request. Debbie Skrdlant, president of St. Anne’s Altar Society, started a countdown for Parr to begin, and used a stop watch to mark the shopping spree.
Parr started in the meat department for the one minute permitted, then moved to cheeses, to the detergent and paper products aisle, to frozen foods, and to fresh fruit.
She said she almost forgot to select coffee, but joked that either her “cheering squad” or pastor Father Adam Sparling following her to video the experience caused some nerves.
At the end of the five-minute window, Parr was smiling and eager to see her total. It was just shy of the $500.
“All her products were bagged up in coolers and in her car before she knew,” Meline said. “The family had taken care of it.
“What a great cause, too,” she continued, and explained that St. Anne Parish has always made it a focus to support the community and the surrounding towns. Among their community efforts are food pantry donations to Red Cloud, Blue Hill, Franklin and Minden; diaper donations to the two crisis pregnancy centers and winter clothing donations to the Silver Lake, Blue Hill, Red Cloud and Minden schools, as well as Catholic Social Services in Hastings.
“But as time goes by,” Meline said, “it has become evident that a slight shift in priorities needs to be made.”
The present-day St. Anne Church was built in 1910, replacing a previous church that had burned. All structures need repairs and updates, as the last update was in the early 1980s.
With a much smaller congregation than in the early 1980s, the parish members are facing increasing challenges and costs.
“But with ideas such as the Grocery Grab and the great support of the local area,” Meline concluded, the parishioners have faith that they can meet the restoration challenges ahead.
The next Grocery Grab is scheduled for April at Mason’s Supermarket in Minden.
