Kroger's Central Division includes Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio and Missouri.

Press Release

INDIANAPOLIS, IN – November 19th – Kroger Central Division has announced an expanded partnership with the Salvation Army. This includes an ambitious goal of $1 million in proceeds from the Red Kettle Campaign in 139 of the division’s 152 stores. The goal represents a 36% increase over proceeds of $735,066 from the 2008 Red Kettle Campaign in those same Kroger stores. The campaign will run in Kroger, Scott’s and Owen’s stores from Thursday, November 19th to Friday, January 1st. The campaign will not include Pay Less and Hilander banner stores.

Senior elected officials, as well as Kroger and Salvation Army officials, kicked off the campaign this morning at separate, simultaneous news conferences in Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, Kokomo and Terre Haute, Indiana, as well as Peoria and Decatur, Illinois. During these news conferences, Salvation Army officials explained the increasing level of need and the impact of community donations in each local community. The elected officials made the first contributions to launch the red kettle campaigns in their local communities and asked local citizens to join them in supporting the Salvation Army.

To reinforce efforts by the Salvation Army’s fund-raising volunteers, Kroger will donate promotional support that includes:

-Stanchion signs in each local store providing information and encouragement related to the Red Kettle Campaign

-Space in print advertising in key media markets

-Time during radio advertising segments in key markets

-Kroger senior managers appearing on-air to provide support of a December 11th to December 13th Salvation Army radiothon in Indianapolis and other events

-A series of joint news conferences in key cities to announce the start of the Red Kettle Campaign; news conferences will be held in Indianapolis, Terre Haute, Shelbyville, Kokomo and Fort Wayne in Indiana, as well as Peoria and Decatur in Illinois.

Kroger is a major supporter of the Salvation Army across the United States, helping them raise $10.6 million in 2008, which represents a 13% increase over 2007 and 8% of the total raised during last year’s Red Kettle campaign. In Central Division, Kroger frequently works with the Salvation Army for hunger relief and in response to natural disasters.

Kroger Central Division Public Affairs Manager John Elliott said, “By helping the Salvation Army, we also help our associates and our customers. They recognize the value the Salvation Army provides and both customers and Kroger associates place generous donations in the red kettles. In times of need, they always are there for us and for the local communities we serve. We are honored to work closely with the Salvation Army across this region, including the largest single-day food drive in the country in Decatur, Illinois, which provided Catholic Charities and the Salvation Army with $479,474 in food in 2008. We look forward to a very successful campaign in 2009 and then building on that success going forward.”

The Kroger Central Division has 151 food stores, 123 pharmacies and 56 fuel centers operating under five banners; Kroger, Scott’s, Owen’s, Hilander and Pay Less, with locations primarily in Indiana and Illinois, in addition to five stores in Missouri, one in Michigan and one in Ohio. Kroger Central Division is dedicated to supporting every local community it serves, contributing more than $10 million in 2008 to local organizations, primarily focusing on hunger relief, K-12 education, health causes and diversity. At Kroger we value: honesty, respect, inclusion, diversity, safety and integrity.

Source: Kroger Central Division