Giant Food Begins Year Long Celebration to Commemorate 75th Anniversary

LANDOVER, Md., Feb. 10, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- On February 6, 1936, despite difficult economic times, N.M. Cohen and Samuel Lehrman worked together to open the very first supermarket in Washington, D.C. Today, Giant hosted a celebratory event at the Tivoli Giant in Washington, D.C., just blocks from the site of the first Giant Food location, to commemorate the company's 75th anniversary. In addition, Giant Food will host in-store cake cutting ceremonies at all 179 neighborhood Giant Food locations at 6 p.m. this evening and invites all customers and community members to attend.

Local officials, long-time community partners, members of the founders' families, and Giant team members and customers gathered to commemorate the diamond anniversary at the Tivoli Giant. D.C. City Councilmember Jim Graham (Ward 1) addressed the crowd and congratulated Giant on their milestone. On behalf of the D.C. City Council, Councilmember Graham declared February 10, 2011 as "Giant Food Day" in the District of Columbia. Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), District of Columbia Mayor Vincent Gray, Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell, Senator Jim Webb (D-Va.), and Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.) sent proclamations and congratulatory letters, which were read at the event. Students from nearby Tubman Elementary School lead the crowd in a lively rendition of "Happy Birthday."

"Giant is honored that so many from our community gathered to celebrate our long history and to look toward our future," said Jamie Miller, manager of public & community relations for Giant Food of Landover, Md. "We're very excited about our 75th anniversary and look forward to celebrating with Giant associates, customers and community partners throughout 2011."

Giant will celebrate its rich history over the course of 2011 by highlighting significant events from its past. Each month, customers will be greeted with 75th anniversary themed promotions, events, and in-store celebrations. A new, commemorative logo has been introduced in honor of the anniversary and will be prominently displayed throughout the year.

Today, Giant operates 179 stores in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and the District of Columbia. Throughout its history, Giant has remained committed to providing the highest level of quality, value, and service to its customers, while also supporting the communities it serves. Giant Food core values include alleviating hunger, education programs, and health and wellness initiatives.

Editor's Note: Photos from today's anniversary celebration at the Tivoli Giant and high resolution artwork of the newly unveiled anniversary logo are available upon request. Please contact Sara Neumann at 202.414.0788 or [email protected].

About Giant Food of Landover, Md.

Giant Food LLC, headquartered in Landover, Md., operates 179 supermarkets in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and the District of Columbia, and employs approximately 22,000 associates. Included within the 179 stores are 163 full-service pharmacies. For more information on Giant, visit www.GiantFood.com.

SOURCE Landover, MD - Giant Food LLC