THE Cornwall Banger Rally Challenge team hosted their annual Supermarket Sweep event at St Austell’s ASDA store on Sunday, December 7.

The always entertaining and wacky outing ended with 1.24 tonnes of food being donated to the St Austell Foodbank - their largest single-day collection of the year.

The event saw nine teams donate food and hold extra collections for the foodbank that plays an essential role in supporting families across the local area, particularly during the winter months and in the lead-up to Christmas.

Each team in the sweep, who were all suitably attired in fancy dress to create a vibrant and entertaining atmosphere for shoppers, were given £100 by the organisers and a list of essential items.

The competitors had 15 minutes to collect everything on the list while staying as close to the budget as possible without exceeding it. Music, tannoy announcements and plenty of laughter filled the aisles as teams raced around ASDA to complete the challenge.

Once time was up, the teams gathered at the tills where Andy Payne from St Austell Foodbank announced the winners. All winning teams immediately donated their prize money to the foodbank, while the Cornwall Banger Rally Challenge doubled all prize funds, enabling the foodbank to convert the donations directly into more essential food supplies.

Joint first place went to Mr Motivators and Team Squid Game who were rewarded with £100 each. Second place went to Team Sweet Dreams (Oompa Loompas) who received £50, while the Naughty Elves & Onesie Animals secured third place and bagged £25.

The final total of 1.24 tonnes also included additional generous contributions from members of the public throughout the morning.

A spokesperson for the Cornwall Banger Rally Challenge said: “We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who donated, especially at a time when so many families are struggling.

“A massive thank you to ASDA St Austell, Andy Payne and the foodbank volunteers, all our amazing teams, and the public who supported us with extra donations on the day. We’re proud to give back to the community that supports us.”

The sweep caps off a great year for the Cornwall Banger Rally Challenge crew who raised more than £30,000 for local and national charities after participating in the Vienna or Bust trip back in September.