Ralphs and The Kroger Family of Stores Commit $3 Million in Donations for Breast Cancer Awareness

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- In partnership with key suppliers, Ralphs and its parent company, The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), have committed $3 million in donations to support breast cancer initiatives in communities across the country where Ralphs and Kroger customers and associates live and work.  

The annual breast cancer campaign, "Giving Hope a Hand®", again will feature associates from across the company who are breast cancer survivors.  This year, 56 women share their stories of survival on marketing materials and custom packages of national and Kroger brand items, which will be sold exclusively in Kroger's family of stores, including:  Ralphs, City Market, Dillons, Jay C, Food 4 Less, Fred Meyer, Fry's, King Soopers, QFC and Smith's.

Armida Flores, a bakery clerk at the Ralphs in Downey, is featured on Kraft Natural Shredded Cheeses.  Armida, a resident of Pico Rivera, learned she had breast cancer in a routine mammogram in 2008.  She shares her story to reassure those now facing the disease.  

"I received excellent medical care and a local survivor's group gave me hope and let me know that I wasn't alone, but more importantly the moral support I received from family and friends was everywhere. Even strangers whom I'll never forget seemed to come out of the woodwork. Above all else it was my faith, for which I am so thankful, that truly carried me through," said Flores.

Diane Raff, who works at Ralphs Hillcrest store in San Diego, can be seen on Pepsi standee signs. Diane, who also lives in San Diego, was diagnosed in Stage Four, and was therefore considered high risk. After a mastectomy, chemo, and radiation, as well as a lifetime prescription for Armedix, she is finally cancer free.

"Staying positive helped me realize that things would work out. Even as a high-risk patient, I knew the importance of positive thinking. I told myself I would get better, then I did," said Diane.

Featured on Kellogg's Nutri-Grain Strawberry Bars is Terry Villareal, of Ralphs Castaic.  Terry, a resident of Bakersfield, was on family leave to take care of her husband who had colon cancer and figured she might as well get a mammogram and was diagnosed with breast cancer in March of 2009.

"The tumor showed up as just a tiny dot and would not have been detected without the mammogram," said Terry. "Believe in miracles. They happen every day."

Flores's, Raff's and Villareal's inspirational stories and others can be found at www.sharingcourage.com, an interactive website dedicated to raising breast cancer awareness.

"On behalf of the entire Ralphs team, we thank our associates for their willingness to share their journeys as breast cancer survivors with our customers and associates," said Ralphs President Mike Donnelly. "It's an honor to have our great people featured on products and in displays in our stores as they encourage others to take charge of their own health."

Ralphs campaign includes a store-wide sales promotion of popular items, many of which will feature exclusive, specially marked pink packaging.  This year, 1,800 items, including Kroger's own products and popular items from Ralphs partners including Pepsi, Kellogg, Kraft, General Mills, Procter & Gamble and Kimberly Clark will be marked with special pink shelf tags to highlight their participation.  

Ralphs Grocery Company was founded in 1873 and currently operates 257 supermarkets from its headquarters in Los Angeles.  The company is a division of The Kroger Co., (NYSE: KR), one of the nation's largest food retailers, based in Cincinnati, Ohio. For more information about Ralphs, please visit our website at www.ralphs.com.

SOURCE Ralphs Grocery Company

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