Kroger features employee breast cancer survivors in new campaign

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

"We are honored that so many of our courageous associates are willing to share their experiences as breast cancer survivors," stated David Dillon, Kroger's chairman and CEO. "Their inspirational stories educate and encourage others to better care for each other and their own health."

For example, Missy Veeder, who works in retail merchandising for the company's Ralphs division in Southern California, is featured this year on packages of Kraft shredded cheese. "Talk to other women who have been there, talk to other women that may have just been diagnosed. Every woman who has been in those shoes can give you some wisdom that might be what you need to hear," Veeder said.

Veeder's inspirational story and others also can be found at SharingCourage.com, an interactive website dedicated to raising breast cancer awareness.

The company's annual Giving Hope a Hand campaign kicked off in stores on Sunday, Sept. 25, and features 53 Kroger associates who are breast cancer survivors on marketing materials and custom packages of national-brand and Kroger-brand products. These women share their survivor stories on the packaging of select items sold exclusively in Kroger's family of stores.

Kroger's campaign features a store-wide sales promotion of popular items, many of which will feature exclusive, specially marked pink packaging. This year, 1,600 items, including Kroger's own products and popular items from such Kroger partners as General Mills, Kellogg's, Kimberly Clark, Kraft, Pepsi, Procter & Gamble, Purina and SC Johnson will be marked with special shelf tags to highlight participation.

At the end of this year, Kroger will have donated more than $18 million to support breast cancer research, education and services since Giving Hope a Hand began in 2006.