A&P Reteams With Alex’s Lemonade Stand
The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co. Inc. (A&P) is taking part in its 11th campaign with Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded by Alexandra "Alex" Scott to find a cure for childhood cancers.
A&P's partnership with the organization goes back to when Alex visited the company's Wynnewood, Pa., SuperFresh store in 2004. The store manager noticed Alex and her mother, Liz, with a shopping cart loaded with supplies to make lemonade and asked about their purchases. After hearing the story of Alex's battle with cancer and her efforts to raise funds to help other kids with the disease, the manager donated all of the supplies to her lemonade stand. Sadly, Alex died that same year, at the age of 8.
This year, A&P will erect lemonade stands in Alex's memory this weekend to sell paper lemons, with all proceeds going to the foundation. Further, over the past two weeks, the company promoted select lemon-themed products for purchase, among them lemonade, floral bouquets, candy and bakery items, with a portion of the proceeds from those items also earmarked for the organizations. These fundraising programs are taking place at all of A&P's banners; shoppers can also make donations by visiting the chains' websites throughout the weekend.
"As of 2014, we have raised more than $1.6 million for the foundation, and we expect this year to be the best year ever, thanks to the support of our associates and customers," said Paul Hertz, president and CEO of the Montvale, N.J.-based grocer, which operates about 300 stores in six states under the A&P, Best Cellars, Food Basics, The Food Emporium, Pathmark, Superfresh and Waldbaum's banners.