Sam's Club® Supports Child Hunger Through $1 Million Donation to Feeding America

BENTONVILLE, Ark., Nov. 16, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The ninth annual Holiday Taste of Sam's Club event kicks off this weekend and as a special part of this year's event, Sam's Club is helping to raise awareness about the issue of hunger in the U.S. and 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.

The Holiday Taste of Sam's Club events will be held Nov. 18–20 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at more than 600 Sam's Club locations across the country. Sam's Club invites America to "try before they buy" and embrace the holiday spirit by sampling dozens of gourmet food and beverage items at the season's much anticipated and most delicious holiday kick-off event.

"Knowing that our annual Holiday Taste of Sam's Club event helps raise awareness to the critical issue of child hunger in our country is extremely gratifying to the entire Sam's Club family," said Heather Mayo, vice president, Grocery, at Sam's Club. "Through our partnership with Feeding America, we have been able to provide meats, cheeses and baked goods for distribution to hundreds of food banks nationwide, donating more than 51 million pounds of food, which provided more than 39 million meals in 2010 alone."

Research shows that children facing hunger are at risk for serious threats to health, growth and development and that one in five children in the U.S. do not know where their next meal will come from or when. Sam's Club partnership with Feeding America helps bring awareness to the hunger crisis in the U.S. and provides nutritious, fresh foods to those struggling with hunger. The $1 million donation from Sam's Club will help support families in need through Feeding America network food banks in 12 cities identified as having the greatest need:

• Atlanta
• Chicago
• Dallas
• Detroit
• Houston  
• Las Vegas
• Los Angeles
• Miami
• Phoenix
• Santa Clara
• Tampa Bay
• Washington D.C.

"This gift – especially during the holiday season – shows Sam's Club commitment to helping the Feeding America network provide food to the more than 37 million people who use our services," said Vicki Escarra, president and CEO of Feeding America. "But the problem is much larger than that. With nearly 49 million people, including 16 million children, in this country facing hunger, this grant will help us get more food to even more people in need."

To locate a Holiday Taste of Sam's Club event or to learn more about Sam's Club partnership with Feeding America, visit SamsClub.com.

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. During the fiscal year that ended Jan. 31, 2011, on behalf of Sam's Club, the Walmart Foundation gave more than $89 million in cash and in-kind gifts to support local U.S. organizations focusing on education, health and children's programs. To learn more, visit http://www.samsclub.com/giving.

About Feeding America

Feeding America provides low-income individuals and families with the fuel to survive and even thrive. As the nation's leading domestic hunger-relief charity, our network members supply food to more than 37 million Americans each year, including 14 million children and 3 million seniors. Serving the entire United States, more than 200 member food banks support 61,000 agencies that address hunger in all of its forms. For more information on how you can fight hunger in your community and across the country, visit http://www.feedingamerica.org. Find us on Facebook at facebook.com/FeedingAmerica or follow our news on Twitter at twitter.com/FeedingAmerica.

SOURCE Sam's Club