NUNS ON THE RUN FOR CHARITY AT ALBERTSONS

STEPHANIE FAGNANI

LOS ANGELES -- As part of a charity event that benefitted St. Vincent Meals on Wheels here, three local nuns flew through the aisles at Albertsons during a recent "Dash for Cash" shopping spree.

Sister Sylvia Parks, Sister Adela Armentraut and Sister Marianne Olives of the Daughters of Charity made the most of the seven minutes they had to spend in the aisles, collecting more than $39,000 in groceries. At the conclusion of the event, Albertsons' district manager Alex Martinez presented Sister Alice Marie Quinn, D.C., founder of St. Vincent Meals on Wheels, with a check for $40,000.

St. Vincent Meals on Wheels provides the homebound elderly and others with disabilities with nutritional meals within a 43-square-mile target area of Los Angeles.

"We did this as a way to say thank you to Southern California community organizations that give so much to the communities where we serve," Lilia Rodriguez, public affairs managers for Albertsons' Southern California division, told SN. "It was tremendous fun, and it was all for a good cause."

Prior to the event, the nuns "scoped out" the seven Center Store aisles that were blocked off for the spree, said Rodriguez. When they were prompted, the nuns and their assistants headed straight for some of the higher-ring items, such as spices, gourmet coffee and gourmet cookies. All Albertsons' private-label products in those aisles were worth extra points.

"These people feed the hungry so they know costs. They [were] going to get the most bang for their buck, too," Rodriguez said.

This was the third "Dash for Cash" sponsored by Albertsons. The first such event was held in the Bakersfield, Calif., area; a donation was given to the Bakersfield Police Activities League, which provides food, a center and assistance for local kids. Runners included professional football and hockey players and children from the center. The second event involved the brother's order of the Daughters of Charity, St. Vincent de Paul. That donation went to Father Joe's Village, a teen center in San Diego. Runners included members of the order.