It was a meat lover’s dream come true for Gimli’s Nancy Bomberak, who loaded up on $500 worth of groceries during her 60-second shopping spree.
While a spring snowstorm swept through the region, customers filled the aisles at Gimli Co-op Food Store on March 28—none faster than Bomberak, who raced through the store with free rein to grab whatever she could. She said time seemed to slow down during the dash, giving her a few extra seconds to stock up at the deli counter.
“We are looking forward to smoking that brisket and enjoying it with our friends,” said Bomberak, who had her sights set on the butcher section from the start.
Bomberak was one of nine winners of the Red River Co-op Food Stores’ 60-second shopping spree promotion. Each winner had the chance to race through their local store and fill a cart with up to $500 in products—limited to two of each item.
A regular customer at Gimli Co-op, Bomberak was automatically entered in the draw during Red River Co-op’s Membership Days. From Feb. 21 to March 14, any member who spent over $150 in-store was entered to win the grand prize, along with other perks like free car washes and discounted gas.
“Given the tough times we’re facing, it’s important for us to show our gratitude to our loyal members,” said Janelle Oyugi, senior director of marketing with Red River Co-op.
When Bomberak received the call that she’d won, she immediately set her sights on the meat department. She spent the next three days preparing—mapping the aisles and creating a detailed list of high-value items to target.
With grocery prices on the rise, she said it was easy to fill her cart with expensive items and ended up collecting $620 worth of meat. Because of the $500 limit, she had to put some of it back.
But in a surprise twist mid-spree, she realized she still had 30 seconds left after grabbing everything on her list.
Planning to share her haul, she used the extra time to collect even more meat.
“Two of our sons live away and we want to make sure they can fill their tummies too,” she said.
