Safeway Announces Portland, Oregon as Winner of "America's Most Natural City" Contest

PLEASANTON, Calif., Oct. 3, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- To celebrate all things natural, Safeway (NYSE: SWY) aimed to add a much-needed cash infusion into America's parks and recreation organizations by rallying the public to vote in its "America's Most Natural City" Facebook contest. Based on Portland's natural attractions, from its green spaces to its outdoor activities, voters named it "America's Most Natural City." As a result, Portland will receive a donation of $20,000 and 25 picnic tables constructed from the Guinness World Record holder for the World's Longest Picnic Table. The contest was inspired by Safeway's commitment to 100 percent natural products with its new Open Nature™ line.

(Logo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110618/SF22351LOGO-b)

"As with our Open Nature all-natural product line, we looked to our customers to define which cities they considered the most natural," said Mike Minasi, president of marketing at Safeway. "We wanted to make a positive impact and give back to the parks and recreation organizations. Many of them provide everything from playgrounds to picnic spots and it was clear that voters shared our passion for preservation of all things natural. We hope that our contest inspires others to give back to their communities in this time of reduced budgets."

With a strong wave of local support, Portland secured 1,189 votes, and won the contest. Coming in second and third were Denver and Seattle, respectively, both of which had tremendous community support for the contest. In addition to the monetary donation, Portland will receive 25 picnic tables created from the Guinness World Record holder of the World's Longest Picnic Table (at 305 feet) which debuted at a recent Safeway event in San Francisco. Bolstering the contest's appeal, one lucky voter was randomly selected to win a year's supply of Open Nature foods, all of which are free from artificial ingredients — no artificial flavors, sweeteners, additives, or preservatives.

"We applaud Safeway for their charitable giving. Portland Parks & Recreation welcomes the generous donation, which will go toward the city's E-205 Initiative to enhance nature trails and build park amenities such as children's playgrounds in the East Portland area," says Nick Fish, Portland parks commissioner. "These improvements will make a huge impact in historically underserved East Portland."

About the Contest

Launched on August 30, "America's Most Natural City" contest encouraged Facebook users to vote for one of 15 pre-selected cities where Safeway and its family of stores have a significant presence in the community. Over the course of the contest, thousands of votes were cast for the cities of Austin, Baltimore, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Portland, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Tucson and Washington, D.C.

For more information on the contest, visit www.Facebook.com/Safeway.

About Safeway www.Safeway.com

Safeway Inc. is a Fortune 100 company and one of the largest food and drug retailers in North America, based on sales. The company operates 1,694 stores in the United States and western Canada and had annual sales of $41.1 billion in 2010. The company's common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol SWY. The Open Nature line is an addition to the Safeway portfolio of health and wellness brands, joining O Organics™ and Eating Right®.

Follow Safeway Open Nature on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/Safeway and connect with Safeway Open Nature on Facebook on http://www.facebook.com/Safeway

Contact: Kathleen Drain
[email protected]
(415) 844-6284

SOURCE Safeway Inc.