PLEASANTON, Calif. – Safeway Inc. and The Safeway Foundation today announced they raised and donated more than $10.8 million in April for Easter Seals , Special Olympics and a range of other charities that support people with disabilities.
This year's campaign brings the total donation from the annual Support for People with Disabilities campaign, along with other fundraising activities, to $150 million to benefit some of the most respected and prominent charities that help people with disabilities live fuller lives.
"We are extremely grateful for each and every contribution that will help improve and transform the lives of countless people and ensure their disability doesn't define their lives or limit their personal potential," said Larree Renda , Safeway Executive Vice President and Chair of The Safeway Foundation.
Each of the company's Safeway, Vons, Pavilions, Dominick's, Tom Thumb, Randalls and Carrs stores collected donations at checkstands throughout April. In addition, the company and The Safeway Foundation partnered again with Rebuilding Together, the nation's leading non-profit providing critical repairs and accessibility upgrades to low-income homes and community centers, to renovate nine homes and non-profit centers serving seniors and/or people with disabilities.
The more than $150 million raised over the years has financed or supported countless important projects. Funds donated by Safeway's customers have:
- Trained Easter Seals staff across the country to help expand visibility of early intervention programs, which are critical for special-needs children, especially those with autism or other disabilities.
- Supported 23 Special Olympics programs in 22 states.
- Helped Easter Seals provide more than 37,000 hours of after-school care and other services for children with developmental disabilities in the San Francisco Bay Area through Easter Seals ' Kaleidoscope program.
- Provided free training and competition opportunities to more than 13,000 Special Olympics athletes in Arizona.
- Helped Special Olympics Colorado expand to provide sports training to an additional 806 athletes.
- Financed the renovation of 20 homes and 12 non-profit centers nationwide through Rebuilding Together, benefiting nearly 5,500 individuals across the country. More than 1,800 Safeway employees donated more than 15,000 hours volunteering on Rebuilding Together projects.
"Year after year, Safeway's employees and customers go the extra mile to support Easter Seals services for children and adults with disabilities," said James E. Williams , President and Chief Executive Officer, Easter Seals . "We are proud of the positive impact for our clients, and the families that love them, made possible by our good friends at Safeway and The Safeway Foundation."
"We are thrilled with the results of Safeway's campaign for people with disabilities," said Special Olympics President and Chief Operating Officer Brady Lum . "On behalf of more than 550,000 Special Olympics athletes in North America, I want to thank the Safeway store employees who tirelessly supported the campaign and the Safeway shoppers who made generous contributions to help ensure that their local communities are ones where all people are accepted, welcomed, and celebrated for their gifts and talents."
ABOUT SAFEWAY www.SAFEWAY.com
Safeway Inc. is a Fortune 100 company and one of the largest food and drug retailers in North America, based on sales. The company operates 1,641 stores in the United States and western Canada and had annual sales of $44.2 billion in 2012. The company's common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol SWY.
ABOUT THE SAFEWAY FOUNDATION
Founded in 2001, The Safeway Foundation supports causes that impact our customers' lives. Our stores provide the opportunity to mobilize funding and create awareness in our neighborhoods through our employees' passion, partnerships with our vendors, and the generous contributions by our customers. We focus on giving locally in the areas of health and human services, hunger relief, education and helping people with disabilities. Safeway Inc. and The Safeway Foundation have invested $1 billion in our neighborhoods since 2001. For more information about The Safeway Foundation, visit www.safewayfoundation.org.
Source: Safeway Inc.
