Sam's Club Invites America to its Largest Open House for Ninth Annual Gourmet Holiday Tasting Party

BENTONVILLE, Ark., Nov. 9, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- With the holidays fast approaching, Sam's Club is opening its doors to invite America to "try before they buy" and plan their holiday menus at the ninth annual Holiday Taste of Sam's Club event. Showcasing dozens of food and beverage items at multiple sampling booths in each of its 610 Sam's Club locations, the season's much anticipated and most delicious holiday kick-off takes place from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. each day from Friday Nov. 18 through Sunday Nov. 20.

Sam's Club members, who light up social media sites with more than 2,000 references each month * to "free samples" at Sam's Club, are sure to enjoy the hundreds upon thousands of free seasonal samples at the Holiday Taste of Sam's Club weekend event, including a variety of delectable, gourmet items such as savory Daily Chef™ Chicken & Bacon Bruschetta, mouthwatering Butterball® Deep-Fried Turkey Breast, and The Cheesecake Factory® Reese's® Peanut Butter Cup Chocolate Cheesecake – a deliciously rich treat sure to delight.

Additionally, samplers that visit the Philadelphia Cooking Creme booths will receive a free copy of Philadelphia's 146-page glossy recipe book "Cooking with Pheeling".** During the three-day weekend event, non-Members can bring in a 1-day pass from the Holiday Taste of Sam's Club newspaper insert or visit Member Services to take advantage of holiday entertaining essentials and Club exclusives. Lastly, all Holiday Taste of Sam's Club guests will receive a handout previewing a portion of Sam's Club "Day After Thanksgiving Event" (D.A.T.E.) values and gifting solutions.

"The Holiday Taste of Sam's Club event has become a seasonal tradition for our members over the years, and we welcome our communities to indulge in simply delicious samples of holiday fare and plan menus for holiday entertaining," said Shawn Baldwin, senior vice president of Fresh & Freezer/Cooler at Sam's Club. "Whether a holiday gathering is for four, 40 or 400, Sam's Club simplifies the stress of entertaining by providing quality ingredients and 'taste like homemade' meal solutions for a successful seasonal celebration."

Simplifying the Season

To help prepare time-strapped families for a less stressful season, Sam's Club partnered with Marcia Ramsland, entertaining expert and author of "Simplify Your Holiday," for helpful holiday hosting hints.

"Between shopping, cooking and preparing the home for guests, time is scarce during the holidays. But, with a little planning and premium ingredients, hosts can easily create lasting memories with family and friends without breaking a sweat this year," said Marcia Ramsland. "Sam's Club simplifies the season by offering an incredible selection of delicious and easy meal solutions that are convenient, flavorful and fabulously festive."

• Create a Holiday Hub Keeping everything in a single place will help you feel organized and in control for your seasonal celebration. Jot down your party theme, guest list, menu plans and decorating ideas in one place for easy reference throughout your planning process and to avoid the headache of too many reminders.
• Save Time, Skip Stress Simplify your day-of party prep by using Sam's Club free "Click 'n' Pull" feature at SamsClub.com. Simply choose your essentials, like Daily Chef™ Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp with Pepper Jack Cheese appetizers, Whole Boneless Pork Loin, or Artisan Fresh™ Ciabatta Rolls, online and Sam's Club will do the shopping. The next morning, your items are ready for you to pick up at Member Services at your local Club.
• Mixing it up Makes it Merrier Bringing the whole family together is part of the holiday spirit, but a long guest list can cause extra stress. Prep the weekend before by planning out place settings, and embrace the fun flair of mix and match china if you don't have a full set for the whole group. You can also serve an assortment of desserts that you bake and those that you buy to save time while still having a special and impressive spread that your guests will love to indulge in.

 

To locate a Holiday Taste of Sam's Club event, visit SamsClub.com. For video tips and menu suggestions from Sam's Club Simply Delicious Chef Brigade and dozens of seasonal recipes, visit SamsClub.com/meals.  

Supporting Child Hunger

As a special part of this year's Holiday Taste of Sam's Club event, Sam's Club will help raise awareness about the issue of hunger in the U.S. by donating $1 million to support child hunger programs through Feeding America, the nation's leading domestic hunger relief charity. The donation will provide approximately 8 million meals to children and families in need during the holiday season and throughout the year.  

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 and Facebook.

About Marcia Ramsland

Marcia Ramsland is well known as the "Organizing Pro" for her practical skills and tips to manage busy lives and has a flair for making organizing easy to achieve and fun. She is an international speaker, author, and media guest appearing on TV, radio, and in national magazines like Better Homes and Gardens, Real Simple, and Martha Stewart radio.

She is the author of four popular books including Simplify Your Life, Simplify Your Time, Simplify Your Space, and Simplify Your Holidays, and a DVD study series "7-Weeks to a NEW Organized You!" which are available in local bookstores or at her website www.organizingpro.com. Marcia has also been teaching seminars and organizing clients from New York to California for the past 25 years. She believes anyone can get more organized with the right information, including you!

*Monthly average according to Radian6, May 1, 2011 to October 31, 2011

**While supplies last. "Cooking with Pheeling" is available free on Friday & Saturday to in-club samplers on a first come, first serve basis.

Attention Journalists: Broadcast quality b-roll available for download
Broadcast quality soundbites available for download

SOURCE Sam's Club