Cause Marketing/ Community Programs

During a year that saw Dollar General open its 10,000th store and AutoZone opens its 5,000th store, rent-to-own retailer Aaron’s has opened its 2,000th location.

The Atlanta-based retailer specializing in the sales and lease ownership of residential furniture, consumer electronics, home appliances and accessories, designated a store in the Bronx, New York as its 2,000th location.

PepsiCo’s Mountain Dew executives and recording artist Lil Wayne this week opened a new skate park in New Orleans made possible by funding from the beverage brand.

The skate park is located in the city’s Ninth Ward, a region that gained infamy following devastating flooding after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The skate park is a key component of a social media, brand building initiative known as DEWeezy that was announced in March of this year and offers Dew fans an opportunity to create a television commercial featuring Lil Wayne.

GRAPEVINE, Texas — GameStop as formed The Gamer Fund to provide temporary relief and meet the basic needs of GameStop associates who are facing hardships from tragic and isolated events. Endowed with seed donations from GameStop’s founders and senior management team, The Gamer Fund will be fully run and funded by GameStop associates.

NAPERVILLE, Ill. — OfficeMax is easing the burden felt by many teachers through its  sixth annual A Day Made Better teacher surprise events on Tuesday, October 2nd.

On Oct. 2, OfficeMax will surprise 1,000 teachers each with $1,000 worth of school supplies for their classrooms.  To identify recipient schools in need across the country, OfficeMax partnered with the nonprofit organization AdoptAClassroom.org. Principals of participating schools nominated teachers that exemplify passion, dedication and innovation in the classroom.

An intriguing shopper marketing initiative involving Unilever and Tesco’s Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market division was launched today in select markets.

The two companies launched an intriguing program designed to help shoppers save money, drive sales of Unilever brands at Fresh & Easy stores and help the Arbor Day Foundation plant trees.

CINCINNATI — Kroger, in partnership with key suppliers, has committed $3 million in donations for local breast cancer initiatives across the country to support National Breast Cancer Awareness month in October.

At the end of this year, Kroger will have donated more than $21 million to support breast cancer research, education and services since Giving Hope a Hand began in 2006.

CHICAGO — Beverage maker Phusion Projects has named Grammy Award winning musician T-Pain as a partner in the Moskato Life brand.

New York -- Ann Inc. announced Tuesday at the Clinton Global Initiative that it will expand on its Vital Voices initiative with a program it is calling “Commitment to Action.”

The parent company of Ann Taylor and Loft piloted its ANNpower Vital Voices Initiative in 2011 as a groundbreaking partnership with international NGO, Vital Voices Global Partnership. The effort aims to train and empower young women in the U.S. to create positive social change in their local communities and become the next generation of leaders.