The third-annual Service Clubs United Shopping Spree Foodraiser collected nearly $3,000 worth of groceries at Fareway on Saturday afternoon for five local food pantries.

The service groups — Evening Lions, Kiwanis, Noon Sertoma, Daybreak Rotary and Noon Rotary — competed to see which group could fill their grocery carts with as close to $500 without going over, and they each had six minutes to do it.

They all lost. But several local food pantries were the winners as their shelves will be stocked just in time for the holidays.

Though none of the service groups kept their bills under $500, Daybreak Rotary came the closest with $511.73 and got to take home the Service Clubs United Nutrition for Nonprofits trophy.

-Messenger photo by Kelby Wingert
Noon Sertoma President Steve Brown fills a cart with breakfast syrup while shopping for the Upper Des Moines Opportunity Inc. food pantry during the 2023 Service Clubs United Shopping Spree Foodraiser on Sunday at Fareway.

“It’s very exciting,” said Daybreak Rotary President Kevin Thompson. “It’s all fun and, win or lose, everybody wins.”

The group’s carts of groceries will be donated to the LOTUS women’s shelter, which is located between Fort Dodge and Vincent. The trophy was “just extra icing on the cake,” Thompson added.

Three years ago, when Linda Cline was president of the Fort Dodge Kiwanis Club, she saw a story about a similar shopping spree fundraiser in the Kiwanis International Magazine, and decided to organize an event here, inviting all the local service clubs to join in. Cline is now the lieutenant governor of Division 2 of the Nebraska-Iowa District of Kiwanis International.

The event also gives the different service clubs an opportunity to intermingle and do something together for the community.

“It’s great,” Thompson said. “I think we should work together on a lot of projects. …That’s the community working together, and everybody wins.”

-Messenger photo by Kelby Wingert
Josh Porter, a member of Daybreak Rotary, pulls stacks of frozen pizza out of the cooler as his service group shops Fareway's aisles to donate to local food pantries on Sunday afternoon. Daybreak Rotary came the closest to the $500 goal with $511.73 worth of groceries shopped in six minutes.

In total, this year’s Shopping Spree collected $2,869.55 worth of groceries. Fareway Manager Chris Palm donated an additional $50 gift card to each service group.

Foodraiser Results

Fort Dodge Daybreak Rotary — $511.73 for LOTUS women’s shelter

Fort Dodge Noon Sertoma — $512.75 for Upper Des Moines Opportunity Inc. food pantry

-Messenger photo by Kelby Wingert
Nearly $3,000 worth of groceries were shopped by five local service groups on Sunday at Fareway. The groceries will be donated to community food pantries.

Fort Dodge Kiwanis — $520.72 for Fort Dodge Community School District food pantries

Fort Dodge Evening Lions — $551.20 for Holy Trinity Catholic Parish Food Bank

Fort Dodge Noon Rotary — $773.15 for the Lord’s Cupboard

-Messenger photo by Kelby Wingert
Dan Chambers, Fareway assistant manager, pulls out a long receipt after checking out several hundred dollars worth of groceries for the Noon Sertoma Club at the 2023 Service Clubs United Shopping Spree Foodraiser on Sunday.

-Messenger photo by Kelby Wingert
Jenny Alstott, a member of Fort Dodge Kiwanis, grabs an armful of tortillas during the 2023 Service Clubs United Shopping Spree Foodraiser at Fareway on Sunday.