BRODHEADSVILLE, Pa. — Single-bagged or doubled, it didn't matter at Kinsley's Shoprite in Broheadsville as long as they were packed up nicely.
Those at the end of the checkout line traded their day jobs for a couple of hours and donated their time for this year's Grocers Fight Cancer Day, helping fight cancer one grocery bag at a time.
"We believe in our church to give to the community, to be a part of the community, so that's what we decided to do. My boss says, 'Yes, go ahead and be a part of the baggers today,'" said Olga Schillinger with Pleasant Valley Assembly of God.
Five percent of all the proceeds from the day's sales go to the American Cancer Society.
Schillinger was one of several celebrity baggers. She had a strategy to make sure she was bagging the groceries correctly.
"Vegetables should be by themselves. Cold cuts and cold items, bottles and jars by themselves, as well, and definitely bread should be alone. I do not like my bread squished," said Schillinger.
Store owner Chris Kinsley says his parents started doing this nearly 30 years ago, and he's kept up the tradition.
"The community is really great. We're very blessed to be out here, and, you know, we call once a year saying we need some baggers, and the road crew comes, all over the county, people come, even to shop today. They may not be a regular customer, but they come to support the cancer society," said Kinsley.
Over the course of the day, nearly 100 community celebrity baggers got behind the counter and bagged groceries for the cause.
Randy Detrick, the owner of Blue Ridge Winery, knows firsthand what cancer can do to a family. That's why it was so important for him to come and help out.
"Lymphoma, leukemia, my mom lived with cancer for 25 years going in and out of recession, so adding value to people's lives who are going through cancer hits me hard because we lived with it. Cancer affects everyone in the community. There's no one it doesn't touch," said Detrick.
The Grocers Fight Cancer fundraiser at Kinsely's in Brodheadsville runs until 10 p.m. Tuesday.
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