Safeway Inc. and The Safeway Foundation Fundraising Campaign to Support Programs for People with Disabilities

PLEASANTON, Calif., Aug. 1, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Safeway Inc. (NYSE: SWY) and The Safeway Foundation today launched a campaign that will fund important programs that assist people with special needs.

Through the Support for People with Disabilities campaign, during the month of August, Safeway customers will be able to donate to Easter Seals, the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) and Special Olympics. These are the world's most prominent and respected organizations providing services to people with disabilities, conducting ground-breaking research to treat developmental and neuromuscular disease, and making competitive sports accessible to everyone.

"These three organizations have transformed the lives of millions of people with a range of special needs," said Larree Renda, Safeway Executive Vice President and Chair of The Safeway Foundation. "We've had long relationships with Easter Seals, MDA and Special Olympics and are proud to be a part of their mission to assist others to live healthier lives and reach their full potential."

Over the years, Safeway has raised and contributed more than $200 million to support the vital efforts of the Support for People with Disabilities campaign partners. The funds have financed critical programs and raised public awareness about the important work these organizations perform every day.

Easter Seals
Easter Seals provides exceptional services, education, outreach, and advocacy so that people living with autism and other disabilities can live, learn, work and play in our communities. For more than 90 years, Easter Seals has been helping individuals with disabilities and special needs, and their families, live better lives. From child development centers to physical rehabilitation and job training for people with disabilities, Easter Seals offers a variety of services to assist people with disabilities address life's challenges and achieve personal goals. Learn more at easterseals.com.

MDA
The Muscular Dystrophy Association is the world's leading nonprofit health agency dedicated to saving and improving the lives of anyone with muscle disease, including muscular dystrophy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other neuromuscular diseases. It does so by funding worldwide research to find treatments and cures; by providing comprehensive health care services and support to MDA families nationwide; and by rallying communities to fight back through advocacy, fundraising and local engagement. Visit mda.org and follow them at facebook.com/MDAnational and @MDAnews. Learn more about MDA's mission by watching this video.

Special Olympics
Special Olympics is a global movement that unleashes the human spirit through the transformative power and joy of sports, every day around the world. Special Olympics empowers people with intellectual disabilities to become accepted and valued members of their communities, which leads to a more respectful and inclusive society for all. Using sports as the catalyst and programming around health and education, Special Olympics is fighting inactivity, injustice and intolerance. Founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the Special Olympics movement has grown to more than 4.4 million athletes in 170 countries. Visit Special Olympics at www.specialolympics.org. Engage with us on: twitter@specialolympics, fb.com/specialolympics, youtube.com/specialolympicshq, instagram.com/specialolympics and specialolympicsblog.wordpress.com.

About Safeway
Safeway Inc., which operates Safeway, Vons, Pavilions, Randalls, Tom Thumb, and Carrs stores, is a Fortune 100 company and one of the largest food and drug retailers in the United States with sales of $36.1 billion in 2013. The company operates 1,331 stores in 20 states and the District of Columbia, 13 distribution centers, 19 manufacturing plants, and employs approximately 138,000 employees. The company's common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol SWY. For more information, please visit www.Safeway.com.

About The Safeway Foundation
Founded in 2001, The Safeway Foundation supports causes that impact our customers' lives. Safeway stores provide the opportunity to mobilize funding and create awareness in our neighborhoods through the generous contributions by our customers, our employees' passion and partnerships with our vendors. We focus on giving locally in the areas of health and human services, hunger relief, education and helping people with disabilities. Safeway Inc. and The Safeway Foundation have invested $1 billion in our neighborhoods since 2001. For more information about The Safeway Foundation, visit www.safewayfoundation.org.

CONTACT: Brian Dowling [email protected], 925-467-3787

SOURCE Safeway Inc.