PORTLAND, Ore., Dec. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- The Salvation Army band played and
hundreds of Fred Meyer employees cheered as a 49-foot trailer filled with
food, toys, clothing, and other merchandise pulled away from the Fred Meyer
main office this morning to deliver the first of more than two dozen donations
by the 2000 Fred Meyer Holiday Express.
Fred Meyer is continuing a tradition started in Portland more than
70 years ago. It has steadily grown over the years to now include merchandise
donations to The Salvation Army and other charities in 27 cities in five
states. The trucks will travel more than 6,400 miles of highway in December
to complete all the deliveries.
The ceremony began with The Salvation Army band accompanying a crowd of
Fred Meyer employees singing carols. Following remarks by the heads of
Fred Meyer Stores, The Salvation Army, and the Sunshine Division, a Fred Meyer
truck hauling a 49-foot trailer full of merchandise headed for The Salvation
Army holiday warehouse in Portland with Fred Meyer's first delivery. Earlier
in the day, a truck with two trailers left the Fred Meyer warehouse in
Clackamas headed for Salvation Army warehouses in Salem and Eugene and another
left for Boise, Idaho. The remaining deliveries are scheduled through
December.
Ken Thrasher, president and chief executive officer of Fred Meyer Stores,
told the crowd gathered outside the company's main office in southeast
Portland, "Today we celebrate a beautiful tradition dating back to the 1920s
when company founder, Fred G. Meyer, started this holiday donation to The
Salvation Army. It has grown into an enormous project involving hundreds of
Fred Meyer employees at our stores, offices, and warehouses who work for
months to pull it all together. I want to thank all of them for their
wonderful efforts that reaffirm Fred Meyer's continuing commitment to the
communities we serve."
Maj. Paul R. Seiler, divisional commander of The Salvation Army, Cascade
Division, said, "We are very grateful to Fred Meyer for its annual holiday
donation. The merchandise The Army receives in its family service centers
throughout the Northwest and beyond helps thousands of families in need who
can't always afford the extras that come with the holiday season. Our
partnership with Fred Meyer dates back many years and so does Fred Meyer's
commitment to our community. We thank them for their generosity."
Sgt. Wayne Kuechler, commander of the Portland Police Bureau's Sunshine
Division, said, "Fred Meyer's annual donation is a terrific add-on to our
holiday food barrel campaign in the stores. We appreciate Fred Meyer's
willingness to deliver our trailer full of merchandise at the end of this
month when the needs of the hungry continue and our warehouse is depleted by
the holidays."
The communities receiving Fred Meyer holiday donations this year are
Portland, Salem, Eugene/Springfield, Roseburg, Medford, Grants Pass, Klamath
Falls, Bend, Newport, Coos Bay, and The Dalles in Oregon; Seattle, Tacoma,
Bremerton, Vancouver, Wenatchee, and Spokane in Washington; Anchorage,
Wasilla, Fairbanks, Soldotna, and Juneau in Alaska; Boise, Twin Falls,
Pocatello, and Idaho Falls in Idaho; and Salt Lake City, Utah.
Fred Meyer Stores is based in Portland, Oregon, and features 127 large
multidepartment stores in five Western states that offer one-stop shopping for
a wide range of food, apparel, and general merchandise products. Fred Meyer
is part of The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), which is the largest food retailer in
the United States.
SOURCE Fred Meyer Stores
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Related links:
http://www.fredmeyerstores.com
CONTACT:
Mary Loftin, 503-797-7901, or Rob Boley,
503-797-7176, both of Fred Meyer Stores; or Marlyss Schwengels of
The Salvation Army, 503-872-8374; or Sgt. Wayne Kuechler of The
Sunshine Division, 503-823-2117
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