Sam's Club® and The Salvation Army Make Holiday Dreams Come True for Families in Need with Fifth Annual Dream Drive Campaign

BENTONVILLE, Ark., Dec. 6, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The holidays are in full swing and Sam's Club is teaming up with The Salvation Army and Off the Field professional football players' wives association for the fifth annual Dream Drive for the Salvation Army. Twenty pre-selected families from the Salvation Army Adopt-A-Family program in 10 different cities will receive $1,000 worth of gifts, including food, clothes, personal items and toys from Sam's Club. As part of the Dream Drive campaign, Off the Field representatives will be shopping at their local Sam's Clubs on Dec 8 to purchase items for these families.

"Giving back to our local communities has been a long-standing part of our culture at Sam's Club," said Cindy O'Connor, Home and Apparel vice president for Sam's Club. "Our partnership with The Salvation Army and Off the Field allows us to help make the holidays a little brighter for families in need through the annual Dream Drive campaign."

Sam's Club will donate $200,000 through the Dream Drive program this holiday season to provide gifts and personal items for 200 Salvation Army families in the following cities:

•          Baltimore
•          Charlotte, NC
•          Chicago
•          Dallas
•          Houston
•          Indianapolis
•          Kansas City, Mo.
•          Philadelphia
•          Phoenix
•          Washington, D.C.

"The partnership with Sam's Club for the past four years has allowed Dream Drive to become an annual tradition that is important for so many families," said Major George Hood, national community relations and development secretary for The Salvation Army. "The Salvation Army appreciates the continued support of Sam's Club and its customers, who have allowed us to provide critical services to those in need during the winter months and beyond with Dream Drive and The Red Kettle Campaign."

"Off the Field is excited to continue our partnership with Sam's Club and The Salvation Army and our involvement in Sam's Club Dream Drive," said Ericka Lassiter, president of Off the Field. "This rewarding and amazing experience has become an event our members anxiously await each year. Giving back to our communities is one of the main focuses of our organization. Dream Drive presents our members with the opportunity to make dreams come true for many families during the holiday season.  We are excited that this year Off the Field will be participating in 10 cities helping 200 families! We are truly honored to participate and humbled by this experience." 

This year, Sam's Club and Walmart will host Salvation Army iconic red kettles and bell ringers outside locations nationwide during The Salvation Army's 120th Red Kettle Campaign now through Dec 24. For more than 20 years, both Sam's Club and Walmart have been partners of The Salvation Army, providing a place for volunteers to collect donations that benefit local communities nationwide.

To learn more about the Sam's Club Dream Drive or for more information regarding the partnership with The Salvation Army and Off the Field, visit SamsClub.com/giving.

About Sam's Club
Sam's Club, a division of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT), is the nation's eighth largest retailer and a leading membership warehouse club offering superior products and services to more than 47 million Members in clubs across the U.S., as well as in Brazil, China and Mexico. Members save an average of 30 percent over traditional retailers. To learn more about Savings Made Simple®, visit SamsClub.com and look for Sam's Club on Twitter, Facebook and our mobile app.

Sam's Club Giving
Sam's Club supports community-based programs that empower young people, families and small businesses to make smart choices that lead to healthy and bright futures. Through cash and in-kind donations, as well as the dedication of Associates, Sam's Club is committed to making an impact in areas that align with the company, and with the passions and interests of Members. In 2010, the Sam's Club Giving Program made cash and in-kind contributions of more than $89 million, which included donating more than 39 million meals. To learn more, visit http://www.samsclub.com/giving.

About The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army, an evangelical part of the universal Christian church established in 1865, has been supporting those in need in His name without discrimination for more than 130 years in the United States. Nearly 30 million Americans receive assistance from The Salvation Army each year through the broadest array of social services that range from providing food for the hungry, relief for disaster victims, assistance for the disabled, outreach to the elderly and ill, clothing and shelter to the homeless and opportunities for underprivileged children. 82 cents of every dollar spent is used to support those services in 5,000 communities nationwide. For more information, go to www.salvationarmyusa.org.

About Off the Field
Off the Field was established on February 16, 2006, in Washington, D.C., as a national non-profit organization. The organization is comprised solely of the spouses of active and retired NFL Players. OTF is a 501 (c)(3) charitable organization that strives to be a resource to all its members and their communities. The purpose of OTF is to have an alliance of women within a network who are fully committed to collectively affect change within themselves as well as their surrounding communities.

SOURCE Sam's Club