Peapod, The Country's Leading Online Grocer, Launches Holiday Turkey Bowling Game To Help Strike Out Hunger

QUINCY, Mass., Dec. 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Peapod, the country's leading online grocery service, announced today its Holiday Turkey Bowling – Strike Out Hunger initiative to continue its support of local communities. When visiting Peapod.com, customers will have the chance to choose their own turkey to be bowled for charity down a virtual bowling alley. For every turkey bowled, Peapod will donate $1 (up to $15,000) to local food banks in its delivery areas.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20121212/NE28599 )

Through a unique mix of digital programs like Holiday Turkey Bowling and on-the-ground grassroots events, Peapod expects to donate over $62,000 in 2012 to fight hunger in its delivery areas, including Connecticut, Washington DC , Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Maryland , New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin.

"We've been very successful in engaging our communities – both online and off – to become enthusiastic partners in our fundraising efforts," said Peg Merzbacher, director of marketing for Peapod. "Whether via Facebook, our website or even in-person, we're committed to finding ways to help our local food banks and are excited that Holiday Turkey Bowling will add to the $47,000 we've already contributed to help our communities."

Most recently, Peapod's Facebook Fall Fan Food Drive donated $1 for every new "like" the Peapod Facebook page received. At the same time, the online grocer let shoppers participate in a Virtual Food Drive on Peapod.com to donate groceries to food pantries in the regions it serves for a grand total of $12,500 in food and financial donations.

Offline, Peapod's successful regional programs include:

• Kids Give Back provides classrooms with the opportunity to learn about nutrition, practice relevant math skills and understand how they can make a positive impact on their community. Peapod donates up to $500 in store credit that students use to make contributions to their local food banks.  
• Peapod Community Days help local food banks receive a large donation of items to be distributed to their community. Peapod partners with town mayors to deliver these items to the food bank and they are joined by the community to carry the groceries inside. Most recently, New Jersey food banks in the communities of Mahwah, Tom's River and Parsippany participated in this program.

"We enjoy working with our local Peapod partners because they always bring creative ideas to raise both funds and awareness for the need to support regional food banks," said Heather Burns of the Thomaston Food Pantry in Thomaston, CT.

Peapod will continue to donate to food banks throughout 2012, especially during the holidays. To learn more about Peapod, visit www.peapod.com or Facebook.com/PeapodDelivers

About Peapod
Peapod – an Ahold USA company – is the country's leading Internet grocer, serving 24 U.S. markets throughout Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Washington, D.C. and Wisconsin.  Founded in 1989 as a smart shopping option for busy households, today Peapod has delivered more than 22 million grocery orders.  For more information on Peapod, call 1.800.5.PEAPOD (1.800.573.2763), e-mail [email protected] or visit www.peapod.com.

SOURCE Peapod