Five Utah Grocery Stores Donate $114,412.61 to Make-A-Wish® Utah
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Five Utah Grocery Stores Donate $114,412.61 to Make-A-Wish® Utah

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
Five Utah Grocery Stores Donate $114,412.61 to Make-A-Wish® Utah
Funds will help grant 23 wishes for Utah Children
Salt Lake City, Utah (October 5, 2017) The wishes of 23 Utah children will come true thanks to Macey’s, Lin’s, Dan’s, Dick’s Market, and Fresh Market. The stores donated $114,412.61 to Make-A-Wish® Utah yesterday during a special check presentation at Lin’s in Cedar City. It wasn’t just an average check presentation. During the celebration, four year-old Ryder learned his wish to visit the Florida theme parks and meet his favorite characters was being granted. Members of the Cedar City police and fire departments as well as the Lin’s store team participated in the surprise.

“We have the most generous guests and are floored by the amount they helped us raise for Make-A-Wish® Utah! We wouldn’t be able to help so many children without them,” said Steve Holm, district manager for Lin’s. “They always step up to make the star icon drive a huge success and we’re so grateful to them.”

From August 1-31, guests at all 42 Macey’s, Lin’s, Dan’s, Dick’s Market and Fresh Market locations were invited to purchase a star icon during checkout. Any amount could be donated for the star, allowing guests to help in whatever way possible with contributions ranging from pocket change to several dollars at a time. The donations quickly added up, surpassing last year’s donation of $100,000.

“We are grateful for the support of every store that participated in this campaign, and for the generosity of the community of customers that helped to raise these funds,” said Jared Perry, Chief Executive Officer of Make-A-Wish Utah. “Wishes are life-changing experiences for the families that we serve, and it is our vision to grant the wish of every eligible child in the state. The funding we receive from the Associated Retail Operations team and outpour of support generated by our community takes us one encouraging step closer toward accomplishing this goal.”

Macey’s, Lin’s, Dan’s, Dick’s Market, and Fresh Market have partnered with Make-A-Wish® Utah since 2010 to raise money to grant wishes for children facing life-threatening illnesses. Over the last seven years the stores have helped grant over 100 wishes. Make-A-Wish® Utah works with families to grant a wish when they need it most—after things have been exceptionally difficult and they need a little fun and hope in their lives.
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About Associated Retail Operations
Associated Retail Operations consists of five local grocery stores owned by Associated Food Stores, an independent, retailer-owned grocery wholesaler based in Salt Lake City, Utah. The stores operate under five different banners, Macey’s, Lin’s, Dan’s, Dick’s Market and Fresh Market. For more information, visit their websites at:

Macey’s—www.maceys.com
Lin’s—www.linsgrocery.com
Dan’s—www.dansfoods.com
Dick’s Market—www.dicksmarket.com
Fresh Market—www.freshmarketstores.com

About Make-A-Wish® Utah
Make-A-Wish® Utah grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength, and joy. Located in its facility in Murray, A Wishing Place, Make-A-Wish® Utah offers a life-affirming wish experience at a time of critical need. For more information, visit us online at www.utah.wish.org, on social @makeawishutah or give us a call at (801) 262-9474.

 

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Five Grocery Stores Ensure Kids Go Back to School with Full Tummies

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Five Grocery Stores Ensure Kids Go Back to School with Full Tummies
Macey’s, Lin’s, Dan’s, Dick’s Market, and Fresh Market donate more than $165,000 to Utah Food Bank
Salt Lake City, UT (September 6, 2017) Back to school signals a fresh start with new pencils, notebooks, and other school essentials and five community grocery stores are making sure everyone has the food fuel they need to succeed. Macey’s, Lin’s, Dan’s, Dick’s Market, and Fresh Market are donating $165,518 worth of product to Utah Food Bank’s Mobile School Pantry program, which provides a free monthly food distribution point for students and their families directly from the school playground. The donation will take place at Edison Elementary in Salt Lake City tomorrow.

“We’re grateful for the opportunity to help the youngest members of our community have a great school year by providing nutritious to the Mobile School Pantry program,” said Gary McCloud, operations manager for Associated Retail Operations, which owns the five stores. “This donation wouldn’t be possible without the great support of our community and we’re so thankful for their generosity.”

“Utah Food Bank is incredibly grateful to Associated Retail Operations and their customers for taking such a stand against hunger,” said Ginette Bott, Utah Food Bank Chief Development Officer. “With one in five Utah children likely to miss a meal today due to lack of resources, their donation will have a great impact on those we serve through our Mobile School Pantry program.”

WHAT: Macey’s, Lin’s, Dan’s, Dick’s Market, and Fresh Market make $165,517.77 donation to Utah Food Bank to benefit the                     Mobile School Pantry and other programs.

WHEN: September 7, 2017
3 p.m.

WHERE: Edison Elementary School
466 South Cheyenne Street
Salt Lake City, UT 84104
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About Associated Retail Operations
Started in 1999, Associated Retail Operations (ARO) consists of five independent grocery banners based out of Salt Lake City, Utah. ARO operates 42 stores across Utah under the Macey’s, Lin’s, Dan’s, Dick’s Market, and Fresh Market banners. ARO is a subsidiary of Associated Food Stores, an independent, retailer-owned wholesaler also based in Salt Lake City. To learn more about the stores visit:

www.maceys.com
www.linsgrocery.com
www.dansfoods.com
www.dicksmarket.com
www.freshmarketstores.com

About Utah Food Bank

Founded in 1904, Utah Food Bank has operated under various names but remains true to its mission of Fighting Hunger Statewide by providing food to a statewide network of 141 emergency food pantries and agencies. Last fiscal year, Utah Food Bank distributed 38.1 million pounds of food and goods, the equivalent of approximately 31.8 million meals, to families and individuals in need.  For more information about Utah Food Bank, visit www.utahfoodbank.org. Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/UtahFoodBank and Twitter at www.twitter.com/UtahFoodBank.

Media Contact
Rachael Wabel
rmwabel@afstores.com
801-978-8913