It took them four years to return to the winner’s circle, but they returned with a vengeance proving once again that their “Freaky Fast” slogan line is not just a toss off line — they have blazing speed on the Slumberland Bed Race course time after time.
The 2017 Benton Harbor Sunrise Rotary/Slumberland Furniture Bed Race along the bluff in St. Joe goes to the lightning fast team from Jimmy Johns Gourmet Sandwiches of St. Joseph.
Play by play announcers Brock Havens of WIRX and Matt Malone from Y-Country Radio joked that Jimmy Johns deliveries around St. Joseph might run a little on the slow side after the Jimmy John’s team racked up six wins in seven different races tonight, including back-to-back races in the championship heat against Lakeland E.R. As fast as they were, however, I don’t think you’ll have to worry.
Jimmy Johns won the title back in 2013, and proudly reminded folks of that detail on the chalkboard headboard of their Slumberland Bed in the race presented by the Benton Harbor Sunrise Rotary Club. In fact, that win was the last time somebody other than Wightman & Associates took the title, after the engineering and architectural team fielded formidable contenders each year to win the trophy in 2014, 2015 and last year in 2016.
Some might argue that they only reason Wightman didn’t win this year is because they didn’t field a team, however their presence was clearly felt as they finished third in the fundraising sweepstakes to benefit the Rotary Club and the Slumberland 40 Winks Foundation, delivering a check for $1,000 to tonight’s competition.
First place winners in the donor circle were from LECO Corporation in St. Joseph who produced $1,600 in donations, followed by the Building Services Team from Lakeland Health who brought in $1,200 in donations for the cause. All proceeds go to support foster children in Berrien County through the auspices of Child & Family Services of Southwestern Michigan.
LECO also won the Judge’s Award for Most Creative entry for their corrugated steel look replicating their signature green building on Hilltop Road in St. Joseph, complete with flags of multiple nations where the scientific company conducts business around the world. Their costumes represented the 5 elements that were the basis of the analytical instruments LECO was founded on, even though they deal with the full periodic table of elements today.
Thanks to some vociferous cheerleading in the grandstands along the Lake Boulevard race course, the Judge’s delivered the Most Spirited Team award to Lakeland Home Care.
A dozen local businesses and organizations entered the competition this year on one of the hottest runs to date, despite the fact that fall of 2017 actually began about forty minutes before the first heat of the race. 90-plus degree weather has been the norm for the last two days and the heatwave is expected to continue well into next week, as well.
The Jimmy John’s team won two consecutive spirited runs against Lakeland E.R. to reclaim the title they hadn’t seen since 2013. Restaurant owner Deb Sailor was on hand to cheer her team to victory. None of her racers in this event was part of the 2013 championship team. Tonight’s racers for her team included (as shown in the picture below starting left to right) Anthony Patzer, Nick Voth, Rachel Raschke, Coach Deb Sailor, Jordan Gregory, and Alex Lockwitz. In the blue shirt in the background next to Sailor is Slumberland Furniture owner Jim Paul.
Race teams tonight included:
- Abonmarche Consultants
- The Benton Harbor/St. Joseph Elks Lodge
- Home Depot of Benton Harbor
- Jimmy Johns of St. Joseph
- Lakeland at Home
- Lakeland Building Services
- Lakeland E. R.
- Starks Family Funeral Services
- St. Joseph Fraternal Order of Police Lodge
- United Federal Credit Union
- LECO Corporation
- Benton Harbor Sunrise Rotary
Berrien County Sheriff Paul Bailey and Child & Family Services of SW Michigan Director Joseph Goepfrich addressed the crowd and the judges tonight were radio personalities Jonny Reinhardt of 98.3 The Coast and Lindsay Kay from 07.5 Y-Country Radio, as well as Lindsay’s sister Jacklyn Zvonar of Coloma who was celebrating her birthday today.
Tonight’s bed races are just part of the Sunrise Rotary Club’s Pumpkin Festival which is also part of St. Joseph Today’s Fall Festival which continues with lots of activities throughout the day tomorrow in downtown St. Joseph as well as at Whirlpool Centennial Park with a Wine Festival and Public Art Auction tomorrow evening.
