When Sheila Barrage, who works as a supervisor at Shady Maple Farm Market, won a shopping spree at the company Christmas party, her first thought was to ask Brandon Ramiro, her friend who works in produce, to push the cart for her during her dash through the market. Sheila and her helper would have two minutes to put up to $500 worth of groceries in her cart."(Ramiro) has been with the company forever," shared Sheila. "He knows the store."

Sheila, who lives alone in a two-bedroom apartment, has a standard freezer and refrigerator, plus a small fridge in the second room that her son, Ben, stays in when he visits. With limited storage for perishable items, Sheila knew a plan was needed to help her make the most of her shopping spree.

Sheila learned of her opportunity to shop for free at the Shady Maple Farm Market on Jan. 7, and the shopping spree was held at 8 p.m. on Jan. 14. That gave her about a week to strategize and practice for the event. Originally, she thought that crabmeat and eggs might be wise choices, but when she considered the locations of those items and the time constraints, she hit on the idea of stocking up on soaps, laundry detergents, toilet paper, paper towels, and trash bags. Ben had given her a bulk package of trash bags two years ago, and she was almost out. She also thought that a variety pack of ice cream novelty treats would be easier to divide up to fit in her freezer and make good treats to share with co-workers.

Next, Sheila and Ramiro decided to practice shopping to figure out the best route to navigate through the large supermarket. They knew they would start near the cashier stations and certain items, such as meats and cheeses, were at the back of the store. "Brandon and I did a dry run, and he was telling me how many more seconds (were left) as he pushed the cart," explained Sheila, who noted that on the pretend run they reached their final destination at the seafood department with 20 seconds to go.

However, the two-minute limit was only one of the rules Sheila and Ramiro would have to submit to as they raced around the market. Shoppers were only allowed to grab one of each item, and meats were limited to four items. Knocking over cardboard displays or breaking anything would result in a 10-second penalty. At checkout, shopping spree winners were advised to put the items they wanted the most on the belt first.

When the time to shop arrived, Sheila competed against six other winners. She decorated the shopping cart with green and silver garland, and she and Ramiro dressed in Eagles gear. Ramiro wore an Eagles mask, and Sheila accessorized with a Phillie Phanatic medallion. Sheila said the outfits were in honor of Ben. "I put my Eagles and Philly memorabilia on so I can take Ben with me because he can't be here to help me out," Sheila said.

When the countdown to the start set the shoppers in motion, Ramiro pushed the cart with Sheila running ahead to grab the groceries. Paper products went into the cart, along with lots of laundry detergent, the trash bags she needed, pretzel pieces, and ice cream. Sheila mostly went for products that stored easily. "It's stuff I'll use," she noted. In addition to the basics, Sheila grabbed ice cream to give to Ramiro, among other items she wanted to gift him in appreciation of his help. She also decided to give away a few other items from her more than $350 haul. "I gave my friend Steph diapers for her grandbabies, and I got a plug-in heater for a 92-year-old woman (to help warm her home)."

Sheila said she enjoyed the support of her co-workers in the time leading up to the spree. "They were telling me go for this or go for that," she said. Afterward, Sheila shared that all the competitors seem to have a good time. "It was fun. (All the participants were) happy for each other," she shared. "I've got really good co-workers."