The Vermont Retail and Grocers Association (VRGA) invites everyone to attend the annual Best Bagger Competition at the University Mall in South Burlington on Saturday, Oct. 21st at noon at Center Court near Sears.
Baggers will be competing from Shaws Supermarkets, Hannaford, Price Chopper, and Lantman’s Market. This year’s celebrity emcee will be Charlie Papillo from the Charlie, Ernie, and Lisa show on 95TripleX.
Baggers will be judged on their speed, the distribution of weight between bags, their bag building technique as well as their style, attitude, and appearance. They are competing to be crowned Vermont’s Bagging Champion and have the chance to represent the State in Las Vegas, Nevada at the national competition in February of 2018. Last year our 2016 Vermont Best Bagger was Spencer Balderas of Shaws in Colchester, VT who went on to place fifth nationally in Las Vegas. In 2015, Bethany Berger also of Shaws in Colchester, VT took home the Vermont title and second place nationally.
She joins VRGA this year along with staff from Hannaford, Price Chopper, and Senator Dick Mazza as Time Keepers. Stewart Ledbetter from WPTZ, Cat Viglienzoni from WCAX, Staci DaSilva from FOX 44/ABC and the 1995 winner, Stephen Joachim from Vermont Business Magazine, will judge the competition, determining which bagger will head to Las Vegas.
The public is encouraged to show up and cheer contestants on as they compete for the title of Vermont’s 2017 Best Bagger Champion. All members of the press are invited to attend, as well. Refreshments will be provided by the Hannaford on Dorset Street. The food used for the competition has been donated by Associated Grocers of New England and Shaw’s Supermarkets and all leftovers will be donated to the Chittenden Emergency Food Shelf as part of VRGA’s partnership with the Vermont Foodbank network. Prizes were donated by Price Chopper and Shaw’s Supermarkets.
To learn more about the work VRGA does, visit their website at www.vtrga.org, follow them on facebook & twitter, call their office at (802) 839-1928 or visit them at 148 State Street Montpelier, VT 05602.
About Vermont Retail & Grocers Association:
The Vermont Retail & Grocers Association represents approximately 800 Vermont retail stores and 250 suppliers to the industry, including members of the Vermont Specialty Food Association. VRGA is an association of merchants and trade partners united to promote the sustainable growth of the industry through the educational, economic and public policy needs of its members. They are the leading voice in the legislature representing members when it comes to proposed changes in laws surrounding employment regulations, taxation, bottle redemption, sugar tax and much more.
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