CHIditarod XIII

March 3, 2018

14,476 Meals for the Hungry

17,371 Pounds of Food Collected

More than $56,000 Raised to Fight Hunger in Chicago

Nearly eight hundred kindred souls gathered on a balmy 40 degree day to create the annual spectacularly-festive, extraordinarily-costumed, epically mobile food drive and charity shopping cart race — CHIditarod XIII. The sun-drenched Chicago streets were filled with more than 250 volunteers and 97 teams of 5 costumed and thoroughly excited humans, raising food and record-breaking funds in the pursuit of feeding the hungry while racing tricked-out shopping carts through 5 themed checkpoint establishments in the name of charity, prizes, and glory. Truly, a spectacle like none other, and a day to long remember.

The annual event raced through Chicago’s West Town Ukrainian Village neighborhoods, visiting five checkpoints each. Mahoney’s, Phyllis’s Musical Inn, Five Star Bar, Roots Handmade Pizza, and Cobra Lounge hosted costumed superstars with their own themes and contests for teams to participate in. All bars generously donate a portion of their proceeds to The CHIditarod Foundation to aid in our epic mission of fighting hunger in Chicago.

CHIditarod is always finding new ways to positively impact our community and those in need. This year we again collected unused toiletries for Sarah’s Circle, a non-profit agency serving women who are homeless or in need of a safe space. They also focus on women needing support because of domestic violence. Thank You to everyone who donated race day, at ChiditaBowl, and at the Burners Without Borders Chicago Winter Ball.

Food Drive

CHIditarod playfully calls itself “probably the world’s largest mobile food drive”, and we could not be more impressed by this year’s food drive success,

With the help of our friends and at the Greater Chicago Food Depository, the CHIditarod XIII food drive collected enough food to provide 14,476 meals for Chicago’s hungry. Thank you CHIditarod participants for being amazing all-stars and for making a difference in the lives of many, many people.

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Best in Food Drive :: The CHIvengers

The Chivengers avenged hunger this year at superhuman levels. This team brought in 2,525 pounds of food to give 2,104 meals to those in need.

Honorable Food Mentions

Chickiditarods were our second most food drive-driven team, bringing in 1,668 pounds of food, equivalent to 1,390 meals! A HUGE THANK YOU to these teams who help us make sure all Chicagoans have the food they need.

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Art Carts

The art carts this year were a small but mighty group, diverse in experience and execution. From virgins who lived in a Yellow Submarine, to a Stone Age Secret Gentlemen’s Club, and the stalwart HoboQ dishing out tapas, everyone enjoyed snacks, music, and of course, FIRE!

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Neolithic Noshers

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Yellow Submarine

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Epic Fundraising

To date, the CHIditarod Foundation has give out $592,350 in grants to local nonprofits who share in our mission to stop hunger in Chicago. This year alone, our racers, volunteers, checkpoints, and organizers — with the help of their families, friends, and communities — raised more than $56,000 in support of this community grants program! Racers and volunteers raised more than ever before.

We will once again be able to fight hunger challenges, supporting community-centered initiatives that address hunger, food scarcity, and education via the CHIditarod Grant Program.

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Most Epic Fundraising: 3GS&T

Once again, 3GS&T were the big winners in Fundraising. For the third year in a row they smashed the prior year’s donation record, raising an incredible $10,451.
In 2018, however, they were chased by a new rival, the breakfast cereal characters of Nomeward Bound.

2nd Most Epic Fundraising: Nomeward Bound

In an epic battle that had fans and Coreganizers alike watching their phones until the cutoff of 5:30pm on race day, 3GS&T just barely edged out Nomeward Bound, who finished with $10,207. That is an incredibly small margin. Nomeward Bound are true heroes in our eyes and deserve just as much admiration.

3rd Most Epic Fundraising: The Chidiots

Last year’s challenger, The Chidiots, rounded out the top three with an absolutely stellar amount of $6,244, and we deeply appreciate them – and everyone who contributed – for helping make this year’s grant pool even deeper.

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Volunteers

While CHIditarod racers do wondrous things, none would be possible without the more than 250 brave and selfless volunteers that make CHIditarod happen. Volunteers are truly the MVPs of CHIditarod.

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Not only do many of them fundraise, they also build the starting and finish lines, create immersive and exciting checkpoint environments, keep you safe while mobile, and have a blast right alongside you. To our volunteers, we honor and salute you all. Thanks.

Visit our grant page to learn about the program and how your organization can apply during the next grant cycle.

Thank You Thank You Thank You!
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More Winners!

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Best in Show, People’s Choice :: The Art Cart

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Dressed to the Nines :: 3GS&T

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A tour through a mobile gallery, led by a boastful but engaging host was this year’s big prize winner. Stretched over two carts, this art collection included six classic paintings, a sculpture garden, graffiti art, a 60-second audio tour, the obligatory velvet ropes, and of course, wine and cheese. Sight, sound, and motion (Munch’s “The Scream” actually did just that…) made for one of the most creative and interactive carts of the day.

This team was so well-loved that they also have been awarded the 2018 People’s Choice Award based on the feedback received from our post-event all-racer surveys. Stellar effort!
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Don’t let the balloons and tinsel on this Barbie Dream Closet fool you – these are Power Paper Dolls, not lightweights! The ladies of 3GS&T brought life-sized, laminated cutouts of some of the strongest, most influential women around. From TV pioneer Lucille Ball to astronaut Mae Jemison to Lady Gaga (complete with Meat Dress), and of course, The Notorious RBG, these long-time racers swapped costumes amongst themselves and even other racers and Judges a chance to try on. So many outfits, so little time…[/one_half]

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Best Bribe:: 5 Angry Teachers

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Rookie of the Year :: Great Scott! Those Are Some Nice Cans

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Another art theme takes a top prize as this Van Gogh cart didn’t merely offer up (gummy) sliced ears. A vision of the artist himself signed handmade, original paintings for Judges and timekeepers alike. Autographed on the spot, each one featured an aspect of CHIditarod, from a Chicago flag, to a Hancock Holdup logo, to a shopping cart, all in the setting of an actual Van Gogh painting.
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This year’s Rookie team took us Back to the Future in their DeLorean model cart, complete with a newspaper predicting their win and a walking, light-up Flux Capacitor who fueled up on Dippin’ Dots.
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There are so many more winners at CHIditarod; see below for all the fun numbers.

Race Statistics

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[tab title=”Prizes”]

Award	Team Name
Food Drive – 4th Place	Art Cart 1 & 2	552 lbs
Food Drive – 3rd Place	Hobo – Q	590 lbs
Food Drive – 2nd Place	Chickiditarods	1168 lbs
Food Drive – Epic 1st Place	Chivengers	2525.5 lbs
4th most epic Fundraiser	Great Scott: Look at those cans	$4,747.52
3rd most Epic Fundraiser	Chidiots	$6,027.31
2nd most Epic Fundraiser	Nomeward Bound 1 & 2	$10,232.09
Most Epic Fundraiser	3GST 12th edition	$10,451.11
3rd Place Time	5 Rabbits
2nd Place Time	Team formerly known as the 2016 fastest cart
1st Place Time – Fastest Dog	BTB
Best Bribe	5 angry teachers	Their lovely handmade paintings
Rookie of the Year Award	Great Scott: Look at those cans
Honorable Mention: Rookie of the year	Yellow Submarine
Bike Marshals Choice	Chivengers
DisHonorable Mention	Empire Carpet	For giving bribes, not having enough, then asking for them back
Best Photo Award	Elizabeth from Kenosa Kickers
Best Team Costume	3GST, 12th edition	For their dolls
Most Engaging Cart	Crash Cart Dummies	Fast food window
Best Cart Build	Throne of Games	For their actual throne made out of actual games
Best Art Cart	Neolithic Noshers	Secret Gentlemans club built an epic cave man cart
Spirit of Chiditarod – Good Samaritan	Chidiots	For their work in helping 3GS&T raise money once they had met their own fundraising goal
3rd Best in Show	Chivengers	For legit Batman and his gang
2nd Best in Show	The Royal House of Queer Mishaps
Best in Show	The Art Cart 1 & 2
Super Bonus Appreciation Award	Natty Pants	For all her love and epic wrangling
Dick Dastardly Award	Chickiditarods	Black Tarp Trickery
People’s Choice	The Art Cart 1 & 2

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[tab title=”Fundraising”]

CHIditarod Foundation Fundraising and GCFD Food Drive Totals

Team #	Team Name	Food Drive lbs	Fundraising Total
1700	The Royal House of Queer Mishap	105.5	$632.90
1686	Team formerly known as the 2016 fastest cart	206.5
1620	5 Rabbits	103.8
41	Neolithic Noshers	299	$2,087.27
1618	5 Angry Teachers	149	$1,146.11
1705	Throne of Games	92
1691	The Art Cart	280
1664	Kenosha Kickers	193.2
1653	Great Scott! Those Are Some Nice Cans	119.5	$4,779.72
1638	Chidiots	131	$6,243.41
1617	3GS&T 12th Ed	168.8	$10,451.11
1672	Nomeward Bound 1	77	$10,280.09
1694	The Chivengers	2525.5	$852.59
1692	The Art Cart (2)	552
1637	Chickiditarods	1668
43	Hobo-Quixote	590
1646	Empire Carpet	75
1632	BTB	71.5
1641	Crash Cart Dummies	293	$61.00
8	Yellow Submarine	82.6
1619	5 Rabbit	87	$132.25
1621	Achoo	DID NOT SHOW
1622	Afternoon Delight	83.5
1623	Alice in Horrorland	96.6	$128.90
1624	All The Way UP	72.2
1625	BaltOVE	103.5
1626	Barnum’s Animals	94.8
1627	Bill Swerski’s Superfans	183.5	$598.21
1628	BLAM	87.6
1629	Blommers Wonka Factory	194.5	$319.75
1630	Bowies in Space	129
1631	Brownies for the win	184	$200.00
1633	Bucktown Chickens	81.6	$391.50
1634	C.R.A.M.D in this Cart	119.2
1635	ChicaGOGO Girls Team 1	82	$3,759.59
1636	ChicaGOGO Girls Team 2	150.2
1639	CHIditagods	73.5	$1,675.87
1640	Cops	165.4
1642	Curry in a Hurry	109.5	$340.83
1643	Dawgs Playin’ Poker	92	$833.79
1644	DC Swamp Critter	173	$158.88
1645	Drunkin’ Donuts	91.5
1647	Even more CHIditagods	109	$882.42
1649	FROOT SCOOT	84.5
1650	Gaza Strippers	92.6	$458.91
1651	Going for gold!	83
1652	Good Grief!	102.4
1654	Gwen Stefani shits B-A-N-A-N-A-S	90.5
1655	Hash House Harriers	72.5
1656	HMS Paula Deen	101	$26.63
1657	Hopefully sumthin cool	106.5
1658	Hot Tub Time MaCHIne	88.5
1659	Into the Wild	107.6	$25.00
1660	It’s All Ogre Now	113.5	$491.52
1661	It’s Always Sunny	90
1662	Jurassic Park: Bribe-o-saurus Rex	170	$501.19
1663	Jurassic Park: Is It Getting Cretaceous in Here or Are You Just Happy to See Me?	88.5	$686.18
1665	Laanaaaa	131	$263.59
1666	Lisa Frank	97.5
1667	Mario Kart	91.5
1668	Mr. Rogers Neighborhood	83.5
1669	Mutiny on the HMS Bounty	73
1670	NapT1	73
1671	NAPT2	98
1673	Nomeward Bound 2	184.5
1674	Not Fast, Just Furious	114.5
1675	Not Your Father’s Medicine Cabinet	83
1676	Re-Formation!	78
1677	Re-Re-Formation	98.4
1678	Right Said Shred	80.2
1679	Sara Para Pizza Party	120.8
1680	Shake it to the Right	109
1681	Shamrock Shakes	79
1682	Spaceballs the Shopping Cart	272.4	$758.38
1683	Spinal Tap Takeover	225.5
1684	Stormy’s Troopers	99
1685	Tatooine911	84.1
1687	Team JabberJaw	178.5	$26.63
1688	Team Purple	277.5
1689	Techno Charile and The Fantasy Factory	112.5
1690	The (Beetle) Juice is Loose!	88	$1,573.33
1693	The Chicago Biers	116.6	$105.92
1695	The Cooter Lounge	108.5	$52.96
1696	The Diverse Trash Pandas	163.6
1697	The Golden Girls	97.6
1698	The Kauai Coffee Beans	87.8
1699	The Little Lebowski Urban Achievers	202.4
1701	The Scooby Squad	74
1702	The Velour Comets	349.6	$494.39
1703	The Welderbeasts	NO SHOW
1704	The Yung Popes	132.4
1706	Trip Deuce Niner	82
1707	Urban Legends	84.2
1708	What About Bob	148.5	$1,267.98
1709	Wigs Jacked for Jesus	511.2	$708.33
1710	Wonka’s Nerds	137.2
1711	Yo Gabba be kidding Me	78

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[tab title=”Timing”]

CHIditarod is in fact a race! Rushing from the start, hitting each bar for a 25 minute rest, and completing a five mile race is grueling work.

Team #	Team Name	Time in Hours	Time in Seconds
1632	BTB	02:52:32	10352.0
1686	Team formerly known as the 2016 fastest cart	03:02:02	10922.0
1620	5 Rabbits	03:09:47	11387.0
1706	Trip Deuce Niner	03:10:21	11421.0
1634	C.R.A.M.D in this Cart	03:12:32	11552.0
1707	Urban Legends	03:26:56	12416.0
1655	Hash House Harriers	03:27:22	12442.0
1653	Great Scott! Those Are Some Nice Cans	03:28:20	12500.0
1642	Curry in a Hurry	03:35:50	12950.0
1675	Not Your Father’s Medicine Cabinet	03:37:09	13029.0
1685	Tatooine911	03:37:32	13052.0
1702	The Velour Comets	03:47:09	13629.0
1657	Hopefully sumthin cool	03:47:38	13658.0
1622	Afternoon Delight	03:48:09	13689.0
1687	Team JabberJaw	03:52:01	13921.0
1708	What About Bob	03:55:55	14155.0
1637	Chickiditarods	03:57:00	14220.0
1646	Empire Carpet	03:59:08	14348.0
1670	NapT1	03:59:39	14379.0
1641	Crash Cart Dummies	04:01:40	14500.0
1681	Shamrock Shakes	04:04:03	14643.0
1710	Wonka’s Nerds	04:07:33	14853.0
1682	Spaceballs the Shopping Cart	04:10:35	15035.0
1680	Shake it to the Right	04:10:49	15049.0
1625	BaltOVE	04:11:07	15067.0
1627	Bill Swerski’s Superfans	04:11:33	15093.0
1629	Blommers Wonka Factory	04:12:13	15133.0
1644	DC Swamp Critter	04:12:40	15160.0
1623	Alice in Horrorland	04:13:11	15191.0
1689	Techno Charile and The Fantasy Factory	04:13:51	15231.0
1631	Brownies for the win	04:14:22	15262.0
1672	Nomeward Bound 1	04:14:54	15294.0
1617	3GS&T 12th Ed	04:15:07	15307.0
1618	5 Angry Teachers	04:16:00	15360.0
1673	Nomeward Bound 2	04:17:16	15436.0
1711	Yo Gabba be kidding Me	04:20:41	15641.0
1619	5 Rabbit	04:21:02	15662.0
1694	The Chivengers	04:21:21	15681.0
1630	Bowies in Space	04:21:38	15698.0
1633	Bucktown Chickens	04:21:56	15716.0
1690	The (Beetle) Juice is Loose!	04:22:45	15765.0
1662	Jurassic Park: Bribe-o-saurus Rex	04:23:37	15817.0
1663	Jurassic Park: Is It Getting Cretaceous in Here or Are You Just Happy to See Me?	04:23:49	15829.0
1643	Dawgs Playin’ Poker	04:24:27	15867.0
1656	HMS Paula Deen	04:25:13	15913.0
1636	ChicaGOGO Girls Team 2	04:25:47	15947.0
1635	ChicaGOGO Girls Team 1	04:26:06	15966.0
1665	Laanaaaa	04:26:20	15980.0
1666	Lisa Frank	04:26:42	16002.0
1660	It’s All Ogre Now	04:27:32	16052.0
1664	Kenosha Kickers	04:28:02	16082.0
1624	All The Way UP	04:28:13	16093.0
1700	The Royal House of Queer Mishap	04:28:37	16117.0
1698	The Kauai Coffee Beans	04:30:28	16228.0
1658	Hot Tub Time MaCHIne	04:31:09	16269.0
1649	FROOT SCOOT	04:34:12	16452.0
1638	Chidiots	04:39:46	16786.0
1671	NAPT2	04:40:48	16848.0
1674	Not Fast, Just Furious	04:42:25	16945.0
1647	Even more CHIditagods	04:43:34	17014.0
1709	Wigs Jacked for Jesus	04:44:40	17080.0
1667	Mario Kart	04:44:49	17089.0
1639	CHIditagods	04:45:20	17120.0
1705	Throne of Games	04:47:02	17222.0
1704	The Yung Popes	04:50:01	17401.0
1669	Mutiny on the HMS Bounty	04:50:15	17415.0
1695	The Cooter Lounge	04:55:12	17712.0
1626	Barnum’s Animals	04:57:26	17846.0
1683	Spinal Tap Takeover	04:57:42	17862.0
1654	Gwen Stefani shits B-A-N-A-N-A-S	05:00:51	18051.0
1691	The Art Cart	05:09:33	18573.0
1692	The Art Cart (2)	05:09:41	18581.0
1651	Going for gold!	05:25:03	19503.0
1684	Stormy’s Troopers	Did Not Finish	—
1621	Achoo	Did Not Finish	—
1628	BLAM	Did Not Finish	—
1703	The Welderbeasts	Did Not Finish	—
1701	The Scooby Squad	Did Not Finish	—
1699	The Little Lebowski Urban Achievers	Did Not Finish	—
1697	The Golden Girls	Did Not Finish	—
1696	The Diverse Trash Pandas	Did Not Finish	—
1640	Cops	Did Not Finish	—
1693	The Chicago Biers	Did Not Finish	—
1645	Drunkin’ Donuts	Did Not Finish	—
1688	Team Purple	Did Not Finish	—
1650	Gaza Strippers	Did Not Finish	—
1652	Good Grief!	Did Not Finish	—
1659	Into the Wild	Did Not Finish	—
1661	It’s Always Sunny	Did Not Finish	—
1679	Sara Para Pizza Party	Did Not Finish	—
1678	Right Said Shred	Did Not Finish	—
1677	Re-Re-Formation	Did Not Finish	—
1676	Re-Formation!	Did Not Finish	—
1668	Mr. Rogers Neighborhood	Did Not Finish	—