BJ's Wholesale Club and Local Hospitals Partner to Host Free "Pink Picnics" Event

WESTBOROUGH, Mass., Sept. 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- For the 6th consecutive year, BJ's Wholesale Club will partner with 13 of the country's leading cancer centers to hold "Pink Picnics" events. Held at local BJ's Wholesale Clubs, the picnic luncheons feature a doctor or specialist from a partner hospital and an inspirational speaker, who will share her experience with the disease. The Pink Picnics are a celebration of survival and are free and open to the public.

At each picnic, a physician will discuss the extraordinary work in battling the disease, happening at his or her cancer center. Each picnic will also feature an inspirational speaker who has been impacted by the disease, and cancer survivors will be invited to tell their personal stories about battling cancer. Additionally, all attendees will receive special gift bags.

"Many members of the BJ's Wholesale Club family have battled breast cancer or had a family member go through it; so it's an honor to hold the 'Pink Picnic' events to raise awareness and money that will go to the life-saving work being done at these cancer centers," said Jessica Newman, Manager of Community Relations.

In addition to hosting the Pink Picnics this October, which is Breast Cancer Awareness month, BJ's Wholesale Club will sell "Pink Ribbon" Club merchandise. As in years past, funds will be raised through this specially marked merchandise sold at all BJ's Wholesale Clubs and donated to the following 13 NCI-designated Cancer Centers:

• Cleveland Clinic Cancer Center at Hillcrest Hospital (OH)
• Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (MA)
• Dartmouth-Hitchcock Norris Cotton Cancer Center (NH)
• Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center (NC)
• Georgetown University Hospital's Betty Lou Ourisman Breast Health Center (DC)
• H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute (FL)
• Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center (MD)
• Roswell Park Cancer Institute (NY)
• The Cancer Institute of New Jersey (NJ)
• Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals (PA)
• VCU Massey Cancer Center (VA)
• Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University (GA)
• Yale Cancer Center (CT)

Proctor & Gamble® (P&G) is partnering with BJ's to offer online support to those recently affected by the disease through the website BJsforPink.com.  On the site, visitors can locate and RSVP to Pink Picnics near them and find which hospitals will benefit from the BJ's Charitable Foundation donations.

Since 2005, BJ's Charitable Foundation has donated over $1.8 million to breast cancer research and treatment. The company is a strong supporter of breast cancer awareness and is dedicated to doing its part in helping to find a cure for this disease that in 2011 the National Cancer Institute estimates will be newly diagnosed in 230,000 and kill 40,000.

To register for a "Pink Picnic" or for more information, visit www.bjsforpink.com.

About BJ's Charitable Foundation
BJ's Charitable Foundation was established with the mission to enrich every community BJ's Wholesale Clubs serve. The Foundation supports nonprofit organizations that primarily benefit the underprivileged in the area of basic needs (hunger prevention, self-sufficiency, education and health). For more information about BJ's Charitable Foundation please visit, www.bjs.com/charity.

About BJ's Wholesale Club

BJ's is dedicated to providing members with high-quality, brand-name food and merchandise at prices that are significantly lower than supermarkets, supercenters, department stores, drug stores and specialty retail stores.  BJ's carries the most product variety of any wholesale club with more than 7,000 items, including supermarket-sized staples, USDA Choice meats and stock-up items. BJ's is the only wholesale club to accept all manufacturers' coupons and for greater convenience, offers the most payment options including EBT.

Headquartered in Westborough, Massachusetts, BJ's Wholesale Club, Inc. is a leading operator of warehouse clubs in the eastern United States.  The Company currently operates 190 clubs in 15 eastern states.  Learn more and shop online at BJs.com or for exclusive content visit Facebook.com/bjswholesaleclub and Twitter.com/bjswholesale.

SOURCE BJ's Wholesale Club