Broncos Remain Champs of Annual Bed Race
 If it's orange it must be the Broncos. The team and its sponsor, Bronco Entertainment, are named for owner Brian Flagg's favorite team. See more photos here. |
For the third consecutive year, the Bronco Entertainment team took home the trophy, making it through the heats undefeated by the six other teams vying to bring home the grand prize.
The winner was really Northern Berkshire Healthcare (despite its own teams coming in second and third behind the Broncos.) The bed race was established three years ago as a fund raiser for the health-care system's family programs by Brian and Janeen Flagg. The Flaggs were looking for a way to give back to the community for the care Brian's parents had received from North Adams Regional Hospital.
Prior to the race, the crowd was serenaded by singer Lita Williams (of Team Bronco) and Berkshire Idol winner Brandon Haskell. Judges PJ Renaud, Mike Garland and Marie Harpin judged the suitability and creativeness of the beds. "Speciel" Forces' Nemo bed and Berkshire Arts and Technology Public Charter School's Collegebound Express won best decorations and creativeness.
Brian Flagg, also owner of Bronco Entertainment, handed over the emcee duties this year to David Bond, who cajoled and cautioned both bed racers and the hundreds surrounding the east end of Main Street to cheer on their teams.
"Stay in the marked lanes or you'll get a ticket!" he warned the teams after a collision between Team Bronco and the Freight Yard Pub forced the heat to be run again.
With only seven teams this year, down from the sophomore year's 14, the heats went quickly. Two losses, and a team was eliminated.
 Palmisano's Bed Bugs came close to unmaking the Broncos' bed and pulled off second place. |
Beat the Bed Bugs really lost their match at the transition point, the halfway mark during which the team member in the bed has to change bedclothes with one of the four pushing the bed. Quick-change artists can leave their opponents scrambling to catch up.
It's that quick change, lightweight bed and well-oiled teammanship that's put the Broncos in the lead these three years. This year, their competition was lighter — and faster than ever before.
"We knew they were going to be the team to beat," said Kevin Tassone of the Pressure Cookers, made up of the hospital's dietary department staff and a racing bed made by David Chapman. The Cookers tried mightily last year but came up short; this year, "we stripped the bed even more and practiced."
It was enough to get the Cookers — Tassone, Lisa Garvie, Missy Lincoln, Jeremy Richardson and Alcide Bullett — into third place after several very tight heats.
Their sister team — Palmisano's Bed Bugs — went toe-to-toe with the Broncos. It was a tough race; the Broncos were unbeaten and the Bed Bugs had lost one heat. That meant winning two back-to-back heats to keep the Broncos from the trophy.
For a moment, it looked like the Bed Bugs might pull it off. They were neck and neck at the tricky transition point (like other teams, they'd learned to use oversize nighties) but the Broncos made one last push to win the heat — and the trophy — by mere inches.
 The Pressure Cookers kept the heat on and won third. |
Running with Palmisano were Stephen Pagnotta, Art Scott, Bob Calway and Paul Kulp.
Prior to the race, the Broncos had been confident they were going to win again, said team member David Cellana. "Yeah, I think we will. I hope."
Organizers Brian Flagg and Jill Drummond deemed the event a success.
"We had some really wonderful participant and wonderful contributors," said Drummond, who encouraged volunteers to join for next year. "In very little ways, anyone can make a difference."
As for next year, the Pressure Cookers say they'll be ready to chop the Broncos down to size. "I'm sure we'll be back. We'll try to beat them again," said Tassone.
'Speciel' Forces, left, and BaRT school won prizes for creativity.
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