RECORD-SETTING DASH

Kirtland family scores big at ninth annual Holiday Dinner Dash at Mentor Family Foods

“It’s just crazy how this all happened. It really went by pretty fast.”

Forget the third time. For one Kirtland resident and his family, the ninth time was the charm when it came to winning The News-Herald’s Holiday Dinner Dash: a 90-second shopping spree that plays out through the aisles of Mentor Family Foods near the intersection of Lakeshore Boulevard

and Reynolds Road.

“He’s entered the past eight years and this is the ninth. So he’s done it every year,” said Jessica Debeljak, whose husband, Mike won the rights to haul his basket through the store Dec. 19 and fill it with whatever he could in a minute-and-a-half.

After all was said and done

— Kirtland resident Mike Debeljak, winner of the Holiday Dinner Dash

and the Debeljak family, including sons Domenic, 10, and Vincent, 13, made their way out the doors of the supermarket with their winnings, their excitement was still evident.

When asked if he had a strategy, Mike said it was all about the protein.

“We did actually, I guess, create a plan,” he said, still catching his breath a bit. “The plan was to go heavy on the meat.”

Although they weren’t sure Mike’s name would be drawn from the list of finalists Dec. 19, they scoped out the aisles the previous weekend to see where all the good stuff was located.

“We scouted the place on Saturday night,” Vincent said. “And we typed out a game plan for it.”

No matter how much one plans, however, it all goes by in a blur, as Domenic can attest.

“It’s just crazy how this all happened,” he said. “It really went by pretty fast.”

Among Mike’s haul of bacon, various other cuts of meat, a couple pizzas and boxes and boxes of chocolate cupcakes, his most coveted carry-out was undoubtedly the semi-bonless ham he scored for his folks.

“My parents wanted a ham,” he said. “So I made sure I got them a ham.”

In all, the family of four went home with $658.72 in groceries, one of the highest totals in the contest’s nine years, said Mentor Family Foods proprietor P.J. Conway.

When asked why he decided to get on board with the contest when The NewsHerald approached him about it nine years ago, he simply said: “It’s something to do.” He elaborated. “It’s fun. It creates a lot

of excitement in the area and it’s Christmas,” Conway said. “You get a lot of people in here. They’re talking. There’s a camaraderie and it’s a good thing for this area.”

As they stood outside the store, the Debeljaks agreed it’s a fun contest to enter and they plan to do it again in coming years.

“Oh yeah — gotta pass it on to future generations,” Mike said with a smile, adding how thankful he and his family are for having had such a great opportunity this year. “I definitely want to say thank you to The News-Herald and to Mentor Family Foods.”

He said his parents “come here probably three times a week and it’s nice to help give back to a small business like this.”

“It’s fun. It creates a lot of excitement in the area and it’s Christmas.” — P.J. Conway, Mentor Family Foods propriertor

JONATHAN TRESSLER — THE NEWS-HERALD Ninth annual News-Herald Holiday Dinner Dash winner Mike Debeljak, center, holds up his prized semi-boneless ham, as his family surrounds him. Pictured, from left, is his wife, Jessica, 10-year-old son Domenic and son Vincent, 13.