Much of the nation will sit down to watch Super Bowl 58 on Sunday — and all those gameday snacks make it one of the busiest days for grocery shopping, too.

As folks stocked up for the big game, 600 volunteers across 10 Cub grocery stores in Dakota County were out bagging groceries to support local food shelves.

“You think about grocery stores and the fact that we’re busy selling groceries today, but the number of people who can’t afford them is significant,” said Scott Swenson, who volunteered in Eagan on Sunday. “So we come in and provide food for those folks in a meaningful way.”

Swenson began the “Super Bagging” event 11 years ago with the mission to capitalize on one of the biggest food shopping days of the year and turn it into a fundraiser for three food pantries in the area.

Just last month, the Open Door Pantry says 17,000 people across Dakota County were served — a demand they say has remained steady since the start of the pandemic.

“I think what people think is there isn’t poverty when you have an affluent neighborhood, and that’s just not true,” Open Door Pantry Executive Director Jason Viana said. “You may not have as much as you may have in some of the inner city areas, but it’s still here. If you need help, you need help. It doesn’t matter how many folks there are.”

Volunteers aimed to collect $70,000 during Sunday’s fundraiser.