Kroger's Family of Stores Commits $3 Million for Breast Cancer Awareness

CINCINNATI, Sept. 24, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) Family of Stores, in partnership with key suppliers, has committed $3 million in donations for local breast cancer initiatives across the country to support National Breast Cancer Awareness month in October. 

This will be the seventh year since Kroger began the Giving Hope a Hand® initiative.  By the end of 2013, Kroger will have donated more than $24 million to support breast cancer research, education and services since 2006. 

The effort kicked off in stores on Sunday, September 22 and features 21 Kroger associates who are breast cancer survivors on marketing materials and custom packages of national and Kroger corporate brand products. These women share their survivor stories on the packaging of select items sold exclusively in Kroger's family of stores.

Kroger associate Joanna Garcia, is featured this year on select Kraft cheese packaging.

Joanna had no family history of breast cancer but she learned a lot about herself throughout her battle with the disease. "I learned I have more strength in myself than I ever thought I had.  I learned that with perseverance, patience, and moral support you can get through any type of situation that comes your way." She encourages everyone to never give up because you are not alone. "It's okay to cry and be angry, as long as you keep fighting."

"Giving Hope a Hand® aims to inspire our customers and raise awareness by sharing stories from some of the more than 2.7 million women who are breast cancer survivors," said David B. Dillon, Kroger's chairman and chief executive officer. "The Kroger family is honored that so many of our associates offered their personal stories of hope and triumph."

Last year, Kroger received the 2012 Gold HALO award from the Cause Marketing Forum for the company's annual Giving Hope a Hand® campaign.

Sharing Courage Online Community

All of the inspirational stories from our associates can be found at www.sharingcourage.com, an interactive website dedicated to raising breast cancer awareness. Kroger customers, associates and their friends are also encouraged to show their support and encouragement through our Sharing Courage online community, where they can:

• Show support by clicking to download a digital pink ribbon to their shopper card. When one million customers have downloaded the special digital ribbon, www.kroger.com and other digital media from the Kroger family of stores, including the mobile apps, Facebook and Twitter pages, will turn pink to raise awareness.
• Post words of encouragement for a loved one or the community at large on the Wall of Hope at www.sharingcourage.com or www.facebook.com/sharingcourage.  
• Show Your Courage at www.facebook.com/sharingcourage by stamping your Facebook profile photo or cover photo with a Sharing Courage graphic.

Kroger's campaign features a store-wide sales promotion of popular items, many of which will feature exclusive, specially-marked pink packaging. This year, 1,600 items, including Kroger's own products and popular items from Kroger partners including, Campbell's, Dannon, Energizer, Frito Lay, General Mills, Jimmy Dean, Kimberly Clark, Kraft, Nestle, Pepperidge Farm, Pepsi, Post, Purina, Sargento, Snapple, and SC Johnson will be marked with special shelf tags to highlight participation. The full list of partners can be viewed at http://www.sharingcourage.com/#/partners.

Kroger, one of the world's largest retailers, employs 343,000 associates who serve customers in 2,418 supermarkets and multi-department stores in 31 states under two dozen local banner names including Kroger, City Market, Dillons, Jay C, Food 4 Less, Fred Meyer, Fry's, King Soopers, QFC, Ralphs and Smith's. The company also operates 783 convenience stores, 326 fine jewelry stores, 1,195 supermarket fuel centers and 37 food processing plants in the U.S. Recognized by Forbes as the most generous company in America, Kroger supports hunger relief, breast cancer awareness, the military and their families, and more than 30,000 schools and grassroots organizations. Kroger contributes food and funds equal to 200 million meals a year through more than 80 Feeding America food bank partners. A leader in supplier diversity, Kroger is a proud member of the Billion Dollar Roundtable and the U.S. Hispanic Chamber's Million Dollar Club.

SOURCE The Kroger Co.