WIESBADEN, Germany - Yuliana Castaneda had her eyes fixed on the baby products aisle at the Wiesbaden Commissary.
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The Army Community Service volunteer was the winner of ACS's Volunteer Appreciation Week drawing - a chance to scoop up as many items as possible in a minute and a half during a commissary shopping spree April 22.
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"I had a nightmare about the event after they drew my name," said Castaneda. "I dreamed the shopping spree was over and my cart was empty."
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With a young child at home and a new one on the way, Castaneda was determined to pick up as many items as possible in the baby aisle.
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"I was excited," she said. "I wasn't even expecting my name to be called."
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As an ACS cheering squad, led by ACS director Jan Meert, waved pom-poms and yelled encouragement, and commissary manager Kevin Kegler started his stop watch, Castaneda zoomed her first cart up the baby aisle. As the seconds ticked away - all broadcast live on American Forces Network Wiesbaden radio - the obviously pregnant mother quickly filled the cart, rushed it to the check-out section and headed back out for more.
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After returning with yet another of several loads, Kegler yelled that the time was up.
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"Ah, let her go for another 30 seconds," said Terry Myers, with C. Lloyd Johnson Acosta, the commissary supply company that donated the shopping spree in honor of U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden volunteers.
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"Any time we can do something like this for military families, it's great," said Myers. "We're happy to see someone who could use it - get it."
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After filling another cart - the last primarily with high-ticket beef cuts - Castaneda headed back to the finish line near the cash registers. As the cheers died down and the items were rung up, Myers was handed the bill - a whopping total of $871 and some change. "I think she did pretty well - I just wish she had bought some of our products," said Myers, smiling.
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"I thought it went like we expected," said soon-to-be-new-father Sgt. Horacio Castaneda, 1st Armored Division, adding that having made a plan in advance, as soon as the clock started the plan pretty much went out the window.
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Yuliana confirmed her husband's assessment, adding that in the excitement of the moment, she quickly improvised.
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Being open to trying new things was what inspired the shopping spree winner to first volunteer for ACS, she said. "When I got here a year ago, I was feeling really sad."
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After a visit to ACS and getting a wealth of information from ACS's Victor Garcia, Yuliana said, "I thought it would be a good idea to help others."
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They say what goes around, comes around - it certainly did for this volunteer.
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