Super Bowl LIV is bringing out the competitive – and generous – sides to a pair of Home Furnishings Association members.
Shortly after the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers advanced to the title game, Crowley Furniture, with three stores in the Kansas City area, and Hoot Judkins Furniture in Redwood City, Calif., in the San Francisco Bay area, agreed to a wager: The HFA member whose team wins the Super Bowl on Feb. 2 will receive a $1,000 donation to the winning store’s charity of choice, courtesy of the “losing” furniture store.
Friendly wager
The Chiefs are making their first appearance in the Super Bowl in 50 years. Katie Crowley, director of marketing and merchandising at Crowley Furniture, said the wager has only added to that anticipation and excitement. “We love this friendly competition with Hoot Judkins Furniture,” said Crowley. “This is a very exciting time for Kansas City, and we love being able to cheer on our Chiefs while also giving to a well-deserving local nonprofit.”
Vicki Marchant, who, along with her brother, Bobby Watson, runs Hoot Judkins, remembers attending 49er games growing up. Her parents had season tickets until the team left Candlestick Park in San Francisco in 2014 for Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara – just a 20-minute drive from Hoot Judkins.
She said the big game has consumed talk at the store ever since the 49ers beat the Green Bay Packers in Sunday’s NFC title game. “We’re not getting any work done,” joked Marchant. “All we’re doing is talking about the game.”
Both Crowley and Hoot Judkins have played up the wager on social media. Hoot Judkins is pushing out the wager on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Crowley publicized the bet on Facebook.
“It’s all for a good cause so there’s not really going to be a loser in this,” said Marchant. She paused. But we really don’t want to lose this bet.”
Charities are the real winners
Hoot Judkins is playing for the Redwood City-Police Activities League, which helps underrepresented and underserved communities throughout Redwood City. Crowley Furniture is playing for Charlie’s House, a safety-demonstration house that, when it opens later this year, will help educate families on making their homes safer, including preventing furniture tip-overs.
The month-long playoff run by the Chiefs and 49ers has not affected weekend sales at Crowley and Hoot Judkins. In fact, Marchant said Hoot Judkins sales on game day for the 49ers the past two weekends has been higher than the same time last year. “People are just planning their shopping around the game,” she said. “Of course we have a TV on in the store, so that helps, too.”
