Acosta Sales & Marketing and Wounded Warrior Project Announce Fundraising Initiative for Wounded Veterans

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. and NEW YORK, Sept. 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Acosta Sales & Marketing, a leading full-service sales and marketing agency in the consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry, and Wounded Warrior Project (WWP), a non-profit organization devoted to helping wounded veterans, today announced the annual Believe in Heroes™ fundraising initiative. This year's program will raise funds on a national level with the help of more than 100 participating retailers and CPG companies throughout the country.

Acosta conceived and launched Believe in Heroes last year as a corporate social responsibility program with a single regional retail partner and 13 national CPG brands. The initiative raised $200,000 for WWP and increased awareness for the program among consumers and CPG brands. Acosta has since expanded the program to a national one, and has gifted the Believe in Heroes moniker to WWP, thereby allowing the organization to add partners outside the CPG industry. This year's Believe in Heroes fundraising initiative kicks off on 9/11 and will culminate on Veterans Day 2011.  

Acosta's efforts in support of "Believe in Heroes" will raise funds for WWP through a variety of promotional initiatives, both on its own and in conjunction with its clients and customers.

• More than 50 CPG brands represented by Acosta are participating in a free-standing insert (FSI) to be distributed via newspapers on November 6 to 50 million households nationwide. Some brands are also introducing limited-time packaging, hosting special events and raising funds for the cause in other ways.
• Through headquarters agreements with more than 50 retailers, thousands of grocery, drug and other stores throughout the country are promoting Believe in Heroes in their circulars and/or in their stores with special signing, point-of-purchase materials and contribution tear-pads at the check-out lane from 9/11 – 11/11.
• Acosta has developed an online storefront (available via www.woundedwarriorproject.org) to sell licensed Believe in Heroes merchandise.

"We are eager to launch the 2011 Believe in Heroes initiative, and to show how Acosta can make a difference in the lives of our wounded veterans by leveraging our reach, expertise and depth of coverage in the CPG industry," said Acosta President & CEO Robert Hill. "Millions of Americans have been touched in some way by the bravery and spirit of the men and women who fought for our nation. With that in mind, our goal is to build on last year's successful campaign by raising the mission's profile on a nationwide basis."

Over 44,000 of our nation's servicemen and women have been physically wounded during the current military conflicts, with hundreds of thousands more estimated to be recovering from invisible wounds of war, including post-traumatic stress disorder, major depression and traumatic brain injuries. WWP assists these wounded warriors and their families through a holistic approach to their recovery, providing programs and services to aid their physical rehabilitation and improve their mental health and well-being. Whether through caregiver retreats, combat stress programs, career and education services, or adaptive sporting opportunities, WWP empowers warriors with the tools essential to not just survive their injuries, but to thrive and achieve personal and professional success.

"Wounded Warrior Project is appreciative of Acosta's commitment to helping us meet the needs of our wounded service members and their families, many of whom urgently require our assistance," said Wounded Warrior Project Executive Director Steve Nardizzi. "We look forward to sustaining an ongoing relationship with Acosta as we continue to honor and support those who sacrificed so much for their country."

Additionally, Acosta will be hosting its second annual gala to celebrate the Believe in Heroes campaign on December 1, 2011. Features of the gala include a check presentation to WWP, and an impressive gathering of executives and representatives from the world's leading CPG brands.

To follow the campaign on Twitter, use @AcostaSales, @WWPBelieve, and the hashtag #BIH. More information can also be found on www.acosta.com/BIH.

About Wounded Warrior Project

The mission of Wounded Warrior Project™ (WWP) is to honor and empower wounded warriors. The purpose of WWP is to raise awareness and to enlist the public's aid for the needs of injured service members; to help injured servicemen and women aid and assist each other; and to provide unique, direct programs and services to meet their needs. WWP is a national, nonpartisan organization headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. To get involved and learn more, visit www.woundedwarriorproject.org.

About Acosta Sales & Marketing

With more than 80 years of experience, Acosta is the sales and marketing powerhouse behind more than a thousand of the biggest brands you see in stores every day. With approximately 20,000 associates in 65 locations throughout the U.S. and Canada, Acosta represents a majority of the #1 and #2 brands in the CPG industry today. Acosta provides a range of outsourced sales, marketing and retail merchandising services to effectively move products off shelves and into shoppers' baskets, ensuring that clients achieve their true sales potential. For more information, visit www.acosta.com.

SOURCE Acosta Sales & Marketing