Grayslake Dist. 46 wins Race for Hunger

Grayslake Elementary District 46 now has bragging rights over Grayslake High School District 127 in the yearly mad scramble for food.

District 46 Superintendent Ellen Correll bested District 127 Superintendent Catherine Finger in the Lake County Farm Bureau's 10th annual Race For Hunger.

Thursday's eight-minute food grab at the Piggly Wiggly at 815 Center St., Grayslake, ended with Correll filling her cart with $1,307.02 worth of non-perishable items for Fremont Township Food Pantry. Finger grabbed $1,153.92 in food for Avon Township Food Pantry.

Both superintendents said the real winners were the people who use the food pantries.

"It was really a wonderful activity to help the food pantries," Finger said. "It was a good time, and the real winner is the people who need it."

The farm bureau picked up the tab for all the food purchased during the event.

Farm bureau spokesman Andy Blaul said the event is held in honor of Food Check Out Week in the United States. It is designed to highlight just how affordable food is in this country, he said.

The farm bureau uses the superintendents in the event to promote school education regarding agriculture programs, Blaul said. In the past, township supervisors handled the competition.

Both superintendents flew from aisle to aisle in the eight minutes allotted during the scramble, grabbing boxes of food two and three at a time and chucking them with little aim into shopping carts.

When the event was over, boxes and cans of food were on the floor, an open flour bag was spilled in the aisle, and one contestant tried calling a foul.

"I want to point out that (Correll) bent a rule," Finger joked. "She wore sneakers. That's a clear violation."

Correll said the sneakers were for safety reasons.

"I didn't want to fall down and cause a problem," she said. "But, wow, eight minutes goes by fast. I'm ready for a nap."