Kroger customers confirmed “Kids Come First” when they donated $100,000 to Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, during Child Safety Month in September. Kroger will match the donation for a $200,000 total contribution to Children’s Hospital on November 2nd at 10am Bruce Macaulay, president, The Kroger Co., Columbus Division, will make the check presentation.
Funds contributed will support Nationwide Children’s Hospital’s mission to provide the highest quality of care for all children regardless of their ability to pay. Kroger raised the money by offering coin boxes in every central Ohio Kroger store and selling paper basketballs promoted with signage featuring Thad Matta, The Ohio State University’s men’s head basketball coach.
“Keeping kids healthy and happy is a team effort that spreads across the entire community,” Matta said. “I am pleased to be involved with this fundraising opportunity to help create miracles for children whose families may not be able to afford medical attention.”
More than 2,700 children enter Nationwide Children’s Hospital every day seeking help, hope and the promise of a miracle. The hospital cares for every child—no young person is ever turned away because of the family’s inability to pay.
“Children often suffer most during difficult economic times because they have no control over their circumstances,” Macaulay said. “We are grateful to our customers for their tremendous response and willingness to reach deeply into their pockets to help kids in central Ohio enjoy a better quality of life.”
“Thank you to Kroger, Coach Matta and the entire central Ohio community for their continued support of Nationwide Children’s Hospital,” said Steve Allen, MD, chief executive officer of Nationwide Children’s Hospital. “It is with the support of our local community that we are able to care for our patients and their families – so that they can stay right here in central Ohio to receive the finest pediatric care.”
This marked the first year for the “Kids Come First” fundraiser, with Kroger planning to make the campaign an annual tradition to benefit Nationwide Children’s Hospital.
About Nationwide Children's Hospital
Ranked in U.S.News & World Report’s 2011-12 “America’s Best Children’s Hospitals,” 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. A medical staff of 1000 and a hospital staff of 7,600 provide state-of-the-art pediatric care for more than 949,000 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