Save-A-Lot

We did it! Alex and I successfully completed the 2012 Save-A-Lot Fuel Your Family Road Trip from Orlando, Fla., up the Atlantic Coast to Albany, N.Y.! Better yet, we did it without any major issues or breakdowns! Yay!

I don’t know where the time went and how we managed to visit 18 cities and 26 Save-A-Lot stores in the last four weeks. There is no way this could have been done without the amazing support and guidance from the Save-A-Lot, SUPERVALU and Carmichael Lynch Spong teams. Thanks guys!

Q&A:

Q: Molly, are you and Alex still talking? How did you manage to be stuck in a car for four weeks, and work together day in and day out for six weeks?

A: To our own surprise, the answer is yes, we are still talking! I would say we managed to do this through humor, giving and taking, and more humor.

Q: How did you handle the Florida heat?

A: We started off the trip in Florida where it was hotter than hot. So hot that when performing our random acts of kindness, we actually had to stop in stores to cool down so we wouldn’t soak through our T-shirts or need to shower multiple times a day!

Q: Did you get tired of wearing the Save-A-Lot T-shirts everyday for four weeks?

A: Nope, not at all. Since we were constantly on the road, we sometimes forgot where we were and what our previous stop was. This is where our Save-A-Lot shirts really came in handy! With the cities and dates listed on the back of our shirts, we found ourselves asking the other to turn around to refresh our memory of where we had been or where we were going.

Q: Did you like the Subaru Outback?

A: Yes. I wish I could keep it! It was a lot of fun to drive. Smooth ride, great pick-up and good gas mileage.

Q: What were your favorite places or parts of the trip? Where would you like to go back?

A: I particularly enjoyed exploring downtown Richmond, Va., and Falls Park in Greenville, S.C., as well as visiting the historic sites in Washington, D.C. Those were the three places we had the most time to explore while performing our random acts of kindness. In particular, I would love to go back and spend some more time in Richmond.

Q: Did you play any games while on the road? Who won?

A: One of the games Alex and I played while on the road was seeing who could name the most private-label products found only at Save-A-Lot. I won every time of course!

Q: Who got stuck driving in New York City?

A: That would be Alex! Well, he actually offered. Thank goodness!

Q: What were the highlights of your trip?

A: When mascots would join us at store visits, baseball games (throwing out the first pitch, pony hop race, announcing lineups), and most of all spending time at the Boys & Girls Clubs! The kids were awesome!

Overall, throughout the trip, I enjoyed meeting new people and trying to brighten their day—whether it was through random acts of kindness or handing out free samples. The gratitude and gracious comments we received were heartwarming and uplifting. I really want to make sure that this appreciation reaches back to the passionate individuals Save-A-Lot employs—everyone from the store associates to the employees headquartered in St. Louis.

Before we embarked on our road trip, Alex and I got a chance to travel to St. Louis and tour Save-A-Lot’s headquarters. While we were there, we got to meet a variety of people from throughout the company, including public relations, designers, merchandisers, legal, mailroom staff and operations. From our visit, it became evident that these people weren’t just working at Save-A-Lot because it was a job. Rather, they are there because they believe in breaking down barriers, providing all communities with access to good affordable food and giving back. With that said, and in addition to my experience as a Save-A-Lot road scholar, I can confidently say: I love you Save-A-Lot. You’ve just gained another fan—thanks for the ride!

I’m still trying to digest the fact that this trip is over.

Four weeks! You’d think I’d have some profound cliché to spit out like “time flies!” or something, but all I can muster right now is “I’m hungry.”

But seriously…

This has been an overwhelmingly fun, exciting and challenging journey. We had to do a recap of everything last week, and I used the term “bucket list.” Honestly, I think that’s the best way to describe how I look back on all of this, a “bucket list” trip.

When I think about all of the things I did in those four weeks, I’m left with a genuine sense of joy and accomplishment. I was excited by the prospects of adventure and challenge before I left, and now that I’m back I feel like it was everything I expected.

Throwing out the first pitch at a baseball game? Check. Racing around the field on a bouncy ball? Check. Getting tackled by a mascot? Check. And this was all at ONE game!

A question that’s come up since I’ve gotten back – what was your favorite moment of the journey? I always have difficulty answering these types of questions, because I always have trouble picking just ONE answer. So, I figured I’d give you a few.

1) Baseball games – Everything about these events was awesome. Whether it was throwing out the first pitch, participating in a T-shirt toss or just doing an interview with the local radio affiliate, these nights were always exciting. Having gone to countless baseball games throughout my life, I finally got to do the things I’ve always wanted.

2) Visiting the White House and watching the President take off – While in Washington, D.C., we had the awesome opportunity to visit the White House for a tour. Well, to our surprise, our visit coincided with the chance to watch the President leave the White House in Marine One, the presidential helicopter. The thing literally landed on the lawn of the White House, perhaps 100 yards in front of us. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. And yeah, he waved.

3) Driving through the Carolinas – For me, a lot of the allure of this road trip was that, well, it was a road trip. Not only do I love exploring, but I love driving. Road trips have always been an awesome opportunity for me to reflect and appreciate the scenery that this country has to offer. I had never been to the Carolinas before, so I was really impressed with the rolling hills and many rivers. Upstate New York was equally scenic.

4) Youth Club visits – This was the one thing I was most anxious about: being in a room full of 40- to 70-some kids, talking to them about healthy eating. Would we be entertaining? Would we be boring? Well, it turns out we weren’t that bad. The kids were so much fun to engage, talk to and hang out with. I got a lot of hugs, and I will not forget them.

So here I am, back in Minneapolis. It’s good to be home, near my friends and family, but I am also a bit saddened by closing this brief chapter of my life. It’s not too often that an opportunity like this comes your way! In the end, I couldn’t be happier that I was chosen for, and completed, this journey.

Thank you to all of the people at Save-A-Lot who helped make this trip possible, and a special thank you to all who tuned in and followed us on the journey. Hopefully, you had some fun as well.

Oh. And thanks to Molly too.

Now – to find a snack!

Cheers,

Alex