No matter how good you got it, 2,500 in free groceries goes a long, long way. And that’s what two Radio Krem listeners got a chance at this morning at Bottom Dalla Supermarket in downtown Belize City. Marla Hill and Rico Alvarado were the winners of the top prize in Krem’s 25th independence anniversary celebration. This morning our camera was in Bottom Dalla as they made their rush at the grocery bonanza, and here’s how that went.
Contestant Marla Hill got ready for the biggest shopping day of her life with some morning stretches outside the Bottom Dalla Supermarket. And she would need it.
A few minutes later she and competitor Rico Alvarado were off racing through the aisles. They had 10 minutes to fill as many carts as they could with any product they wished. The only rule: they had to keep the total under $2,500. Play by play man Orson Picart dashed after them as they kept a torrid pace through the aisles.
At the end of a 10 minute shelf-clearing binge, Alvarado was winded and you could see why, looking at the bumper to bumper procession of choc filled carts. And if it looked like too much, that’s also how it tallied when they added it up, he had gone one thousand dollars over the limit. Marla Hill came in at $2,200 which meant victory for her. Her family waited outside and she was exuberant about her win.
Marla Hill, Winner
“As you notice I have my sisters out there, my family, everybody just told me to try and get the most expensive things like Tide, Febreze and things like that. I have a list, Mike has my list and everything on that is for everybody but I made sure I got the Lighthouse for me. So it was the big things first and then some things to make up on the end.”
Jules Vasquez,
So while doing it did you calculate in your head, did you add up in your head? How did you know to keep it under the limit?
Marla Hill,
“Well I wasn’t really…I do a bit of shopping so I know the Tide kind of has a certain price and then Febreze; I already know more or less the price of what that cost. So I wasn’t doing any calculation. The main important thing was to keep away from breaking anything and getting what I wanted.”
Rico Alvarado, Contestant
“It looks like the items I picked were a little bit too expensive. I should have cut it down a little bit.”
Jules Vasquez,
Your eyes were too big.
Rico Alvarado,
“Noh man. I just wanted to fill the carts too quick and I filled too much. The time ended up being quite long. I thought time would have run up on me.”
Jules Vasquez,
Yeah because you had extra time. I know you as a precise man. What happened? You didn’t do your market analysis and research?
Rico Alvarado,
“Something went wrong but the young lady was better than me, that is all.”
Jules Vasquez,
Or it might have been that you weren’t factoring in GST.
Rico Alvarado,
“Well that knocked me off $200.”
And now this family woman says these groceries will go a long way.
Jules Vasquez,
How far will these groceries go?
Marla Hill,
“Ooh a long long way man. I told you see the family came down from Maxboro and all of that; ma, sister, niece, everybody. It will go a long way. We have to save up for Christmas. We have to save up for Christmas so the wines I get will be saved up for Christmas so you can come around Christmas, we will drink up.”
As a consolation Alvarado got to take home $250 in cash.
