As part of The Kroger Co.’s “Giving Hope a Hand®” breast cancer awareness campaign, Kroger’s family of stores, in partnership with key suppliers, has committed $3 million in donations to support breast cancer initiatives in communities across the country where Kroger customers and associates live and work.

This year’s campaign features five of The Kroger Delta Marketing Area associates who are breast cancer survivors. The associates share their survivor stories on the packaging of items, which will be sold exclusively in Kroger stores. Their stories are also featured on a special Web site: www.sharingcourage.com.

Kroger Associates Rita Webb and Laura Carter of Memphis are featured on Campbell’s Select Harvest Soup cans and on bottles of Arm & Hammer Laundry Detergent.

“In October of 1999, I was in the shower and felt a hard little knot about the size of a marble. When two weeks went by and it was still there I made an appointment,” said Webb. “After the mammogram the doctor scheduled a biopsy. During this whole time I had not told my family anything that was going on since I wanted to be sure.”

 Webb said when you hear cancer you think the worst.

“The first thing I thought about was better me than my daughters or sisters. I started to cry but only for about five minutes. I told my husband and family but decided not to tell my youngest daughter since she was in her first year of college and was about to take exams,” said Webb. “It’s been ten years and she still gets mad that I didn’t tell her. I was in the first stage and lucky to catch my cancer when I did.”

Sheila Freeman of Memphis is featured on boxes of Kellogg’s Right Bites Cheez-It.

“On behalf of the entire Kroger Delta Marketing Area team, we thank our terrific associates for their willingness to share their journeys as breast cancer survivors with our customers and associates,” said Mark Prestidge, Division President.  “It is an honor to have our great people featured on products and in displays in our stores as they encourage others to take charge of their own health.”

The Kroger campaign features a store-wide sales promotion of popular items, many of which will feature exclusive, specially marked pink packaging.  This year, 2,000 items, including Kroger’s own products and items from Kroger partners – including Kellogg, Kraft, Pepsi, General Mills, Campbell’s and Procter & Gamble – will be marked with special shelf tags to highlight their participation.  

The Kroger Delta Marketing Area five associate honorees will also be a part of the fall NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Memphis Motorsports Park on October 24. The race is entitled the “Kroger On Track for the Cure 250”, and is an opportunity to celebrate National Breast Cancer Awareness Month with a portion of all race ticket sales given back to local breast cancer community health programs.

The Kroger associates featured in the “Giving Hope a Hand®” breast cancer awareness campaign will each choose an organization that helped them during their toughest battles and on their behalf, Kroger Delta will donate $5,000 to that organization.