CINCINNATI, May 22, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- To show support
for our heroes – troops, their families and veterans – The Kroger
Co. (NYSE: KR) today announced a robust program involving events
and customer engagement that will honor these heroes all
summer.
More than two million Americans serve on active duty or in the
reserves today, including many Kroger family of stores associates.
Kroger has partnered with the USO through "Honoring Our Heroes," a
multi-faceted program designed to show Kroger's deep gratitude to
our active duty troops and our nation's 23 million veterans.
Kroger's customers and associates have enthusiastically
supported the endeavor: Together, Kroger's annual campaign has
raised more than $11.9 million since
2010 to support USO programs, which represents the largest
cumulative gift to the USO in its nearly 75 year history.
To honor our heroes, Kroger announced several easy ways for
customers to participate this Memorial
Day season:
- $1 Million Match
Kroger invites its customers
to join forces with them to donate $2
million to the USO by giving through register scan cards
and coin boxes at every store or by donating online at
HonoringOurHeroes.com. Kroger will match every dollar that is
donated, up to $1 million.
- Gift Card Donations
Customers may also purchase
special gift cards in $5,
$10 and $15 denominations that will be delivered to local
USO centers.
- Red, White and BBQ
Treating troops and their
families to some good ol' BBQ is a token of the company's
appreciation for the many family dinners they missed while
deployed. Kroger will host BBQs in 12 cities and towns across
the United States.
- Operation Taste of Home
Having a "taste of home" is a
powerful experience for troops stationed abroad. Kroger will bring
the taste of the backyard BBQ experience to the brave servicemen
and servicewomen at three locations abroad: Camp Buehring,
Kuwait (May
30), Camp Arifjan, Kuwait
(May 31), Landstuhl Regional
Medical Center, Germany
(June 5).
- Share a Coke
With every click, The Coca-Cola Company
will donate a refreshing Coke to the troops, up to 100,000, on
Kroger's behalf. Consumers can use the hashtags #HonoringOurHeroes
#ShareaCoke to spread the message.
- Social Sharing
Customers can visit
HonoringOurHeroes.com to become inspired by Kroger's own
associates' stories of courage, then write a special message to
America's heroes. By posting on social media channels using the
#HonoringOurHeroes hashtag, the message will automatically show up
on the official website.
- Hiring Our Heroes
Kroger has hired more than 29,000
veterans since 2009 – including more than 6,000 last year – and
continues to seek out opportunities to honor heroes through career
opportunities.
"We are all touched by the military service of our neighbors,
friends and colleagues, which makes Honoring Our Heroes close to
the hearts and homes of our customers and associates," said
Lynn Marmer, Kroger's group vice
president of corporate affairs. "While we can never truly
thank our service men and women enough for the sacrifices they
make, we are deeply committed to recognizing our troops and their
families through our partnership with the USO."
To find out more, visit https://www.honoringourheroes.com/
Kroger, one of the world's largest retailers, employs nearly
400,000 associates who serve customers in 2,625 supermarkets and
multi-department stores in 34 states and the District of Columbia under two dozen local
banner names including Kroger, City Market, Dillons, Food 4 Less,
Fred Meyer, Fry's, Harris Teeter, Jay C, King Soopers, QFC, Ralphs
and Smith's. The company also operates 782 convenience
stores, 326 fine jewelry stores, 1,330 supermarket fuel centers and
37 food processing plants in the U.S. Recognized by Forbes as
the most generous company in America, Kroger supports hunger
relief, breast cancer awareness, the military and their families,
and more than 30,000 schools and community organizations. Kroger
contributes food and funds equal to 200 million meals a year
through more than 100 Feeding America food bank partners. A leader
in supplier diversity, Kroger is a proud member of the Billion
Dollar Roundtable and the U.S. Hispanic Chamber's Million
Dollar Club.
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SOURCE The Kroger Co.