Commissary sets sights on Super Bowl weekend

Photo by Marny Malin-Sgt. Ruben Albert is checked out by cashier Linda Betts as he makes a stop at the Commisary for party supplies on Monday.

Just as millions of people are getting ready to watch this Sunday's Super Bowl between the undefeated New England Patriots and the playoff wildcard New York Giants, the Fort Belvoir Commissary is gearing up for quite a contest of its own. And, interestingly enough, it's against itself.

To top last year's sales mark for the Saturday before what's generally regarded as the most watched sporting event on the planet, the Commissary is offering one lucky shopper the opportunity to own a 42-inch 1080P LCD high-definition television at an estimated price tag of $1,000-$1,600.

Store director Troy Collins said its part of an effort to reach the Commissary's personal goal of $500,000 in sales for one day. So, if all goes according to plan, right when the Commissary surpasses its sales mark on Saturday, every customer being checked out at that moment will take part in a drawing to see who walks away with a brand new television. At least that's how Collins and everyone at the Commissary envision it.

"We realize it's a pretty lofty goal, then again, the Commissary did more than $9 million in sales for the month of December alone. Not exactly a bad way to end 2007," Collins said. "Now, we're focusing on our goal of a half million dollars the day before the Super Bowl. The mother load of all parties."

When examining last year's numbers, Collins said the Commissary wound up $51,000 short of reaching its ultimate goal then. With this year's game reminiscent of a classic Boston versus New York match up, Collins added that interest could even be greater than usual and, just maybe, help push the Commissary over the top.

"It's not going to be easy, but we're feeling pretty good about our chances," Collins said. "Whatever happens, it's going to be a lot of fun. But, if we can do it, that's quite an achievement for a military installation."