Wal-Mart and Sam's Club Announce $10 Million Partnership with America's Second Harvest to Help End Hunger
Company will match up to $5 million raised through in-store promotion
CHICAGO --- March 2, 2006 --- Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. has announced a $10 million partnership with America's Second Harvest — The Nation’s Food Bank Network that will bring millions of pounds of food to hungry Americans nationwide. Wal-Mart will match the first $5 million raised through an in-store promotion, which kicked-off in Wal-Mart and SAM’S CLUB locations nationwide on March 1.
“Partnering with Wal-Mart and SAM’S CLUB is a tremendous step forward in helping us to continue to feed the 25 million Americans our Network serves each year; and ultimately helping us end hunger in America,” said Robert Forney, president and CEO of America's Second Harvest. “The money raised through this campaign will enable us to provide more food for hungry people in every community in the United States within the next year.”
The “Be A Part Of The Solution To End Hunger” campaign will be featured at all 3,800 Wal-Mart and SAM’S CLUB locations nationwide during the month of March. Wal-Mart customers can purchase a “piece of the solution to end hunger” at check-out counters in stores and clubs.
“We are proud to join together with America’s Second Harvest to help those dealing with the tragedy of hunger in communities throughout America,” said Betsy Reithemeyer, vice president of corporate affairs and executive director of the Wal-Mart and SAM’S CLUB Foundation. “The goal of this effort is to help make a difference in the lives of our customers and neighbors in the communities we serve.”
The majority of the funds raised through the campaign will be used for the America's Second Harvest Network food program, which provides food banks and food-rescue organizations with the highest demand foods, including protein and produce, which are critical to helping provide nutritionally balanced meals for low-income Americans. Remaining funds will be used for the BackPack Program, which provides food for children to take home on weekends and school vacations, when school meals are not accessible, and for agency sustainability programs in local communities.
America's Second Harvest — The Nation's Food Bank Network is the largest charitable domestic hunger-relief organization in the country with a Network of more than 200 Member food banks and food - rescue programs serving all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. The America's Second Harvest Network secures and distributes more than 2 billion pounds of donated food and grocery products annually; and supports approximately 50,000 local charitable agencies operating more than 94,000 programs including food pantries, soup kitchens, emergency shelters, after-school programs, and Kids Cafes. Last year, the America's Second Harvest Network provided food assistance to more than 25 million low-income hungry people in the United States, including nearly 9 million children and nearly 3 million seniors. For more on America's Second Harvest, please visit www.secondharvest.org.
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. operates Wal-Mart Stores, Supercenters, Neighborhood Markets and SAM'S CLUB locations in the United States. The company also operates in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Germany, Guatemala, Honduras, Japan, Mexico, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico, South Korea and the United Kingdom. The company's securities are listed on the New York and Pacific stock exchanges under the symbol WMT. More information about Wal-Mart can be found by visiting www.walmartfacts.com. Online merchandise sales are available at www.walmart.com.
More information about Wal-Mart’s charitable giving or other Foundation programs can be found at www.walmartfoundation.org.
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Contact:
MAURA DALY
Office: 312.641.6421
Cell:
301.943.3733
ROSS FRASER
Office: 312.641.6422
Cell: 312.307.8470
