Tacoma furniture store pays up for Percy Harvin’s Super Bowl kick return

It was the signature play in Super Bowl XLVIII that put the nail in the Denver Broncos. Percy Harvin’s 87-yard kickoff return ignited a celebration across the Northwest. It also cost a Tacoma furniture store about $72,000.

Dave Harkness of Harkness Furniture in Tacoma has been a Seahawks season ticket holder since 1977. When the team made its run to the Super Bowl, he decided to drum up some business and support the Hawks at the same time with several Super Bowl-related promotions, including one tied directly to a certain exciting play involving a kickoff.

“If the Seahawks ran back an opening kickoff, everybody’s furniture would be free,” Harkness said. “With Percy Harvin running back that third-quarter touchdown, we ended up giving away about $72,000 worth of free furniture.”

Harkness said they were on pins and needles for the start of the second half. “When Percy broke free, I knew he had one guy to beat with the kicker, and our house was ecstatic,” he said. “You would have thought we had just won the Super Bowl at that point.”

Sixty-five people walked away with free furniture because of Percy Harvin’s Super Bowl magic.

“We’ll be out a few dollars, but we have some insurance that covers a lot of it,” Harkness said. “Just the fact that we made 65 loyal Harkness Furniture friends, probably for life, and we’re going to be handing out some checks up to about $5,000 on Monday night for people that won free furniture.”

It’s the best $72,000 loss he’s ever taken. Harkness will make good on his promotion Monday night with a party at his store. He will show the new Super Bowl DVD.

The 65 winners will also sign a giant “Thank You” card that Harkness will send to Percy Harvin.