LOS ANGELES, Jan. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Ralphs Grocery Company announced today
that The Ralphs/Food 4 Less Foundation will accept donations from customers
throughout the month of January for tsunami relief efforts.
    The Company is establishing collection points in all of its Ralphs, Food 4
Less (Southern California, southern Nevada, Illinois and Indiana), Foods Co,
Bell Markets and Cala Foods stores where customers can make cash donations.
Donations will be accepted beginning today with all funds collected going
directly to the Red Cross for international relief efforts in south Asia.
Customers can support the Red Cross' efforts to bring aid to tsunami survivors
by donating their spare change in specially marked collection canisters
located at the checkstands in their neighborhood Ralphs, Food 4 Less, Foods Co
or Cala/Bell store.
    In addition to the in-store fundraising, Ralphs and Food 4 Less are also
offering their 25,000 associates a convenient way to help, and The Ralphs/Food
4 Less Foundation will match donations from Company associates.
    "The devastation caused by the tsunami has touched all of us.  Many of our
customers and associates have relatives in South Asia who have been affected
by the tsunami.  This makes it extremely important that Ralphs and Food 4 Less
join in the relief efforts," said Dave Hirz, President of Ralphs.  "Our
fund-raising drive in support of the American Red Cross' tsunami relief
efforts will provide our customers and associates the opportunity to help the
victims of this terrible natural disaster."
    Ralphs Grocery Company has a history of contributing and raising funds in
its supermarkets to assist victims of disasters, including the 1994 Northridge
earthquake and the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington,
D.C.
    The Ralphs/Food 4 Less Foundation was established in 1991 by Ralphs
Grocery Company to fulfill the supermarket company's commitment to giving back
to the communities it serves.  The Foundation has assisted hundreds of
nonprofit organizations, schools and community groups from San Diego to
Sacramento with grants in excess of $20 million.  Thousands of people have
benefited as a result of this support.
    Ralphs and Food 4 Less believe in being good corporate citizens by
contributing to the diverse communities they serve.  Last year, Ralphs and
Food 4 Less provided more than $5 million in cash and in-kind donations to
organizations focused on health, education, the fight against hunger and
developing our youth.

    Ralphs Grocery Company was founded in 1873 and currently operates more
than 450 conventional and warehouse-style supermarkets under the Ralphs and
Food 4 Less banners in Southern California, Nevada, Illinois and Indiana; and
Ralphs, Cala Foods, Bell Markets and Foods Co in Northern California, 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.

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