Safeway Inc. Announces ''Operation Care Packages'' to Iraq

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BELLEVUE, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 23, 2004--In support of the many soldiers serving in Iraq, Safeway Inc. announced plans to send care packages from local communities to local heroes every month. Beginning in September 2004, one Safeway store each in Washington, Montana, and Alaska will serve as a collection point for community residents to donate items for a care package that will be mailed, compliments of Safeway, to soldiers in Iraq.

Families with loved ones serving in Iraq, who would like to shower them with a surprise care package, are encouraged to submit an entry to Safeway (see details below). The collection site will change based upon the entries received. The family of the selected entry will be responsible for: recruiting a minimum of 4 volunteers to collect donated items from 10:00 am - 5:00 pm on the designated Saturday at their store, pack the donated merchandise in boxes, and deliver the addressed packages to the agreed upon mailing location. Safeway will: provide flyers to be handed out to customers with a suggested list of product donations, send press releases to the local newspapers about the care package collections and pay for postage to mail the packages to our soldiers in Iraq.

Looking for a way to honor soldiers over Independence Day, Safeway opened its doors on July 3rd in the Rose Hill community near Redmond, Washington, in their first endeavor to let the community contribute to Operation Care Package. The efforts at this location were a tribute to a local fallen hero, Army Sgt. Jacob Herring, and the rewards were bountiful. The community responded with open arms and left Safeway with more than 48 boxes of goodies to ship to his remaining platoon in Mosul, Iraq.

"The charitable response we received from the Rose Hill community told us that there are many people looking for ways to show their support of our troops. The gratifying response gave birth to Operation Care Package which we look forward to launching in August and operating on a monthly basis," stated Cherie Myers, Director of Public and Government Affairs for Safeway Inc. "Donating goodies is an easy way for the community to show their support and allows Safeway the continued opportunity to keep our doors open to humanitarian causes."