Reps. Randy Hotham, Tom Saviello, Janet Mills, and Walter Gooley preparing to race

Winning Team Reps. Randy Hotham and Tom Saviello in action

Post Race

Area Legislators Race for Ronald MacDonald Houses of Maine by Pam Harnden

A grocery cart race took place recently at Save-A-Lot in Farmington in recognition of Food Check-Out Week.  This week celebrates the affordability of food in America, since most Americans will have earned enough income by February 6th to pay for their family's yearly food supply.  Tax Freedom Day, or the day when a person's tax commitments will have been met, doesn't occur until the second week in April.

            Because food is so affordable, more options are available to Americans than would be possible if food cost more.  Supporting the Ronald MacDonald Houses of Bangor and Portland is a way to acknowledge the low cost of food - about 10% of income - and help those that must be away from home due to the serious illness/accident of a child.

            Franklin County Farm Bureau organized the grocery cart race as a fun way to help stock the pantries of the Ronald MacDonald Houses.  Save-A-Lot agreed to host the race and purchase the food items in one cart.  The Franklin Journal and Franklin Savings Bank picked up the tab for the other cart. Senator Walter Gooley and Representative Janet Mills agreed to face off against Representatives Tom Saviello and Randy Hotham in the race.  The racers were given the challenge of trying to put the biggest variety of non-perishable food products as well as those with the highest total cash value in their cart in 5 minutes.

            Senator Gooley/Rep. Mills' team collected 49 different items in their cart, thus winning the first challenge of the race, since Saviello/Hotham only had 33 different items.  However, Representative Saviello/Hotham's cart was valued at $288.66, so they obtained the second goal as Gooley/Mills' cart was valued at $228.81.  The Ronald MacDonald Houses were the ultimate winners, leaving with over 450 food items to share with families facing a crisis.