Mother is thankful for 87-second shopping spree

When Shawnia Ryan's 8-year-old son filled out a card to enter a shopping spree at Rack Room Shoes, she didn't think much of it.

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Shawnia Ryan and her son Daniel show off some of the merchandise they received during a shopping spree she won from Rack Room Shoes.

"It was sometime after Thanksgiving, and I went looking for some boots. Daniel went to the counter and was asking me things like what our ZIP code was," she said. "When I went up to the register, I realized what he was doing and told him to stop playing."

She put it to the back of her mind until a few weeks later, when she received a call and found out that they had won the $550 shopping spree from the store in Augusta Exchange, which was a part of the store's anniversary celebration.

"All I could do was laugh. That was all I could do," Ms. Ryan said.

The shopping spree would last only 87 seconds, so in preparation, the store managers and representatives held a rehearsal the day before.

"I had the chance to look at stuff we wanted and have a run-through of what the shopping spree would be like. They timed me and gave me some pointers on how to hold the boxes," Ms. Ryan said. "It was fun, but I was also nervous because I knew the next day I would go on the actual shopping spree."

The day of the shopping spree, she already knew what she would get and where everything was located, she said.

"Although I had a strategy, when I started running and everyone was clapping, my heart started racing and I began to feel tired, but I did it," she said.

During her 87 seconds, she was able to grab nine pairs of shoes, a bookbag and socks for her and her family.

Winning the shopping spree was a blessing, Ms. Ryan said.

"Every time I think about it, I know it had to be a blessing from the Lord. God still hears prayers and he answers them. He really does," she said. "Daniel honestly needed some shoes. God knew my heart and that he needed those shoes."

Nearly a month later, she said that she remains grateful for the opportunity to give her son what he really needed.

"I will always thank Rack Room Shoes. I know that because they have blessed others, they will always be blessed," she said.

Reach Nikasha Dicks at (706) 823-3336 or nikasha.dicks@augustachronicle.com.