The clock began ticking and Bob and Delores Anderson sped off to fill their grocery cart within four minutes. The Andersons are the winners of the San Juan Lions Club annual Shopping Spree raffle to benefit the Lions scholarships fund.

“The total is $569.12,” said Laurie Brown, Lion member and coordinator of the spree, holding up the Andersons’ receipt after the couple had gone through Kings Market check-out line.

That left the Andersons short of the record groceries collected. Barbara Cable remains the champion nabbing $736.33 worth of groceries during the spree in 2011. (Read “Food Bank Wins Big” in the Journals Nov. 24, 2011 edition, or online at www.sanjuanjournal.com/news/food-bank-wins-big-at-annual-shopping-spree/). Cable donated all of her winnings to the Friday Harbor Food Bank.

The Andersons, volunteers of the food bank, also donated their stockpile, which included a $50 gift certificate for meats and cheese. According to Lion member BJ Brandli, the Lions gave away three turkeys as prizes, most of which were also donated to the food bank. It is of course, up to the winner to decide what to do with their loot, however, Lion members seem to agree that most past winners have donated at least a portion of the food to the food bank.

The highly popular Shopping Spree raffle has been sponsored by the Lions for more than 20 years as a way to fundraise for their scholarship fund. The ticket sales, minus the cost of the grocery bill, go toward the fund. This year, the Lions raised approximately $2,000 for the fund according to Brandli, which will help the new addition of a vocational scholarship, something few service clubs offer, as well as a four-year scholarship.

The spree has become a win-win for high school students and the food bank, Brandli said, as this community is that generous.

“Is that it? All those boxes?” Delores Anderson asked looking at the pile of about eight large boxes carefully stacked by Kings Market staff that rested on top of a metal hand truck.

“Wait, I forgot to grab…,” she said with a laugh.