Kroger customers and associates have again proven they care about central Ohio children and their families by contributing $122,710.85 during Kroger’s second annual “Kids Come First” campaign. Kroger will present a check for $460,959.82 to Nationwide Children’s Hospital today at 1:20 p.m. as a result of the “Kids Come First” campaign and other fundraisers plus a $200,000 match from Kroger. Bruce Macaulay, president, The Kroger Co., Columbus Division, will present the contribution.
Nationwide Children’s will recognize Kroger’s continuing cash and in-kind support by naming and dedicating the family lounge on the fourth floor of the Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit in honor of Kroger. The lounge is conveniently located in the ICU and post-surgery area and offers a place of respite for patient families to gather. The lounge overlooks the picturesque healing gardens and provides comfortable furniture, dining tables, a refrigerator and lockers for families to use.
“We are fortunate to have a world class children's hospital in Columbus and Kroger is more than happy to contribute to such a worthy organization,” Macaulay said. “Many of our customers and associates use the care provided by Nationwide Children's Hospital, so it is a cause close to our hearts."
More than 2,700 children enter Nationwide Children’s every day seeking help and the promise of a miracle. Nationwide Children’s sees nearly 1 million patient visits each year, with one of every three Kroger customers with children seeking care from the institution.
During Kroger’s “Kids Come First” campaign, customers and associates contributed one dollar to place their names on paper butterflies displayed in each store. Besides the $122,710.85 raised during this campaign, customers and associates gave another $138,248.97 during other special promotions.
Kroger’s “Kids Come First” fundraiser was held in June and coincided with the opening of the new Nationwide Children’s Hospital and the start of summer. Because more American children die from unintentional injuries than from all other causes combined, Kroger and Children’s Hospital provided summer safety tips in each store and conducted a “Kids Come First” coloring contest.
Associates and front end managers at individual Kroger stores encouraged contributions by conducting a contest to see which stores could increase their donations to Nationwide Children’s above last year’s levels. Kroger customers and associates donated $100,000 in 2011, with a $100,000 matching contribution from Kroger.
“Kroger has been an active partner with Nationwide Children’s Hospital for many years and we are grateful for their ongoing support of our work and our patients,” said Steve Allen, MD chief executive officer of Nationwide Children’s Hospital. “It is the generosity of individuals and organizations like Kroger, its associates and customers that enable us to fulfill our mission of serving every child regardless of a family’s ability to pay.”
The “Kids Come First” campaign has become an annual Kroger fundraiser for Nationwide Children’s.
About Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Ranked 7th of only 12 children's hospitals on U.S. News & World Report’s 2012-13 “America’s Best Children’s Hospitals Honor Roll,” Nationwide Children’s Hospital is one of the nation’s largest not-for-profit freestanding pediatric healthcare networks providing wellness, preventive, diagnostic, treatment and rehabilitative care for infants, children, and adolescents, as well as adult patients with congenital disease. In June 2012, the hospital celebrated completion of the largest pediatric expansion construction project in United States history, adding 2.1 million square feet of clinical, research and support facilities to total 5.3 million square feet on its main campus. A medical staff of 1,100 and 8,300 employees provide state-of-the-art pediatric care for nearly one million patient visits annually. As home to the Department of Pediatrics of The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Nationwide Children’s Hospital physicians train the next generation of pediatricians and pediatric specialists. The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital is one of the top 10 National Institutes of Health-funded freestanding pediatric research facilities. Nationwide Children’s remains true to the original mission since its founding in 1892 of providing care regardless of a family’s ability to pay. More information is available at NationwideChildrens.org.
About Kroger
Kroger, the nation’s largest traditional grocery retailer, employs more than 338,000 associates who serve customers in 2,458 supermarkets and multi-department stores in 31 states under two dozen local banner names including Kroger, City Market, Dillons, Jay C, Food 4 Less, Fred Meyer, Fry’s, King Soopers, QFC, Ralphs and Smith’s. The Company also operates 786 convenience stores, 361 fine jewelry stores, 1,014 supermarket fuel centers and 40 food processing plants in the U.S. Kroger, headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, focuses its charitable efforts on supporting hunger relief, health and wellness initiatives, and local organizations in the communities it serves. For more information about Kroger, please visit www.kroger.com.
For more information, please contact:
Jackie Siekmann
Media and Government Relations Manager
Kroger Columbus Division
4111 Executive Parkway
Westerville, Ohio 43081
614-898-3223