Shopper races to finish line

A CART FULL: Donna Carson of Woodburn hunches over her shopping cart, exhausted after running the aisles of Hy-Vee to grab the most groceries her cart could carry. Carson won Mosaic's first "Grocery Grab" raffle. (Melissa Brownrigg)

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"Twenty seconds left!" Mosaic Employment Support Coordinator Shelley Sadler yelled from the front of Osceola Hy-Vee.

Donna Carson hunched over a shopping cart, desperately trying to catch her breath, as the last few seconds of her shopping spree dwindled away.

Carson, a Woodburn resident, won the 5-minute shopping spree after placing just one entry in Mosaic's first "Grocery Grab" raffle. She took to the aisles April 15, one day after her birthday.

The business, which offers services and support to individuals with intellectual disabilities, used the raffle as a way to raise money. Mosaic sold 121 tickets at $10 apiece.

"I thought we would sell more, but this was a good first start," Sadler said.

Sadler selected Hy-Vee as the race's first location to show the store Mosaic's appreciation.

"Hy-Vee has been a really good supporter of Mosaic, so I wanted to start there," she said. "One individual we support works here, they sell our Jumpy Monkey coffee line here and when we ask for donations, Hy-Vee has always been there."

The race ended with a $253 bill, but this was dramatically less than what Sadler expected it to be.

"Mosaic has done this in other towns and states, and they said it usually came in around $500 to $700," she said. "So I was thinking $500, at least."

Carson was restricted to using only one cart inside the store and couldn't get alcohol or cigarettes.

Osceola Hy-Vee Director Brandon Williams also requested Carson to "keep the store orderly" and not swipe shelves of products into her cart, as originally seen in "Supermarket Sweep."

Before racing through the aisles, Carson said she came up with a game plan to make the most out of the spree.

"First I'm going to head right back to the meat department," she said. "I thought about getting (canned food), but then you just have to stack those. With the meat, you can just grab it and put it in there."

She also had a few requests. Carson and her family joked with Williams before the spree started that she wanted to select her cart to ensure she got one with good wheels.

At the starting line, Carson bounced from side to side in anticipation.

On her way to the meat department, Carson made a pit stop at the juices and selected multiple containers of apple juice, as requested by her family.

She continued her dash to the meat and threw in several different cuts of beef, including a 10-pound tube of ground beef.

Store employees and shoppers gathered to cheer Carson on and offer advice as she sped down the aisles.

As Carson paused to ponder over her next selection, someone shouted from the sidelines, "Don't shop, just grab!"

With boxes of frozen pizza nearly bursting from her cart, Carson made her way to the front of the store while Sadler counted down the seconds.

"It went by faster than I thought, until the end," Carson said. "Then I thought it would never end and I couldn't get any more in my cart."

For those who missed out on their chance to win, the good news is Mosaic is planning to do the event next year.

Carson said Mosaic can count on her $10 next year.

"It was fun," she said. "This makes me want to buy a lottery whenever they sell them."