Walmart, Sam's Club and Operation Homefront Kick off Saluting Heroes Together Series on Armed Forces Day

SAN DIEGO, May 17, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- On Armed Forces Day, Walmart, Sam's Club and Operation Homefront will kick off its nationwide series Saluting Heroes Together with a community-wide military appreciation event in San Diego. The event will be the first in a series of tributes the organizations are hosting across the country to honor the brave men and women who have or are currently serving and their families.

This event will take place Saturday, May 18, 2013, at the Walmart Supercenter located at 3412 College Ave. in the College Grove Shopping Center. Lunch and giveaways will be provided by Walmart and Sam's Club suppliers, including Johnsonville's World's Largest Grill.

Earlier this year, Walmart announced that beginning Memorial Day, May 27, the company will offer a job to any honorably discharged veteran within his or her first 12 months off active duty through its Veterans Welcome Home Commitment and plans to hire more than 100,000 veterans over the next five years. Members from the Walmart People Division department will be on hand at the event to answer questions about the commitment.

"People who join the military have a passion to serve others, are eager to learn and are looking for training and experience," said Pablo Ceniceros, Walmart store co-manager and Army veteran. "After I left the Army I was looking for an opportunity to apply the same skills in my community, and that is why I joined Walmart."

"Since our organization was founded in 2002, we have been committed to helping and supporting our service men and women and their families," says Jack Chirrick, executive director, Operation Homefront – California. "We are proud to partner with Walmart and Sam's Club and are honored to take part in the Saluting Heroes Together events that will help strengthen community support for those who have served and sacrificed to provide opportunity for us."

The company's focus on supporting veterans extends beyond its hiring initiative. The Walmart Foundation has committed $20 million through 2015 to helping veterans and their families transition from the military into the civilian workforce through programs that provide job training, transition support and education. In late 2012, the foundation awarded a $750,000 grant to Swords to Plowshares in California. The grant increased job training programs and is expected to support 700 veterans in underserved areas of the state.

"We as Americans owe our military service members a great debt.  I applaud Walmart for taking concrete steps to help our veterans transition into civilian life," said San Diego Councilmember Lorie Zapf.  "The commitment to provide a job to every recently discharged veteran will make a big difference in the military community."

To learn more, drop by Saturday's event in San Diego or visit www.walmartcareerswithamission.com.   

About Walmart 

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) helps people around the world save money and live better – anytime and anywhere – in retail stores, online and through their mobile devices. Each week, more than 245 million customers and members visit our more than 10,800 stores under 69 banners in 27 countries and e-commerce websites in 10 countries. With fiscal year 2013 sales of approximately $466 billion, Walmart employs more than 2.2 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting http://corporate.walmart.com, on Facebook at http://facebook.com/walmart and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/walmartnewsroom. Online merchandise sales are available at http://www.walmart.com and http://www.samsclub.com. 

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SOURCE Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.