Ingenious Generosity: Supermarket Sweep

At St. Anthony’s, we never cease to be amazed by the support we receive from our Bay Area community—support that makes our work possible each and every day. But our donors are more than just generous. So often, we’re impressed by their creativity, ingenuity, and sense of fun. That’s why we’re kicking off a series of blog posts about St. Anthony’s donors who, in their commitment to supporting those in need, also find ways to flex their creative muscles, sharpen their competitive edge, or have a good time with friends.

Every year around the holidays, Beau and Evan Burbidge bring together a group of friends for a good cause, honoring a tradition that began with Beau’s family in Utah. Called the Supermarket Sweep, it’s a tradition that calls for some competitive grocery shopping, with all purchases going to charity. Beau and Evan held the first San Francisco edition of the Supermarket Sweep three years ago, and it’s been a growing event every year since. This year, 17 teams of two met at the Foods Co. grocery store in the Mission. The rules are simple. Each team is assigned a random dollar amount somewhere around $100, and are sent shopping. Their task is to purchase enough groceries to reach their exact price without spending more. “The catch is that teams can’t use calculators, iPhones, abacuses, pencils and paper, or anything other than their own brains to figure out how much they’re spending,” Beau said.

This year’s event featured fun and intense competition that generated a serious donation of food goods for St. Anthony’s Dining Room. After the teams completed their shopping and winners were declared (for whom there were prizes of restaurant and Starbucks gift cards), participants headed over to St. Anthony’s with $1700 worth of groceries taking up 6 carloads. Over the course of a morning, Beau and Evan and their Supermarket Sweep participants managed to bring together a group of friends, engage in some fun competition, and impact the lives of San Francisco’s poor and homeless in a positive way. Thanks Beau, Evan, and all Supermarket Sweep  competitors for your generosity and your ingenuity!