Giant-Landover, Anacostia Watershed Society Clean Up for Earth Day

In honor of Earth Day’s 40th anniversary, Giant Food of Landover, Md., has joined with community partner Anacostia Watershed Society (AWS) to clean up the environment on April 23 and 24. Fifteen Giant stores in watershed communities in Washington and Maryland will hold in-store activities, perform storm drain stenciling, plant trees nearby and tidy up their surrounding neighborhoods.

In November 2009, AWS and the Ahold USA division teamed up to deal with environmental problems affecting the Anacostia River. The organizations are jointly educating both Giant-Landover employees and shoppers about the importance of a green lifestyle, why reusability matters, and ways to enhance the natural resources of the region.

“Giant is committed to helping our planet every day, and Earth Day is a great timely reminder for us all about the simple ways we can help protect the environment,” said Kim Brown, VP of public affairs and community relations for Giant-Landover. “Together, we can build a vibrant, clean, and healthy community and river.”

As well as taking part in individual store initiatives, Giant-Landover workers will join the AWS, nonprofit organizations, families and local residents at the 21st annual AWS Earth Day Celebration Event on April 24. River cleanup activities will take place at more than 30 sites in the Watershed, and all participants will gather for a celebration at Anacostia Park in Washington.

At each of its D.C. stores, the chain has appointed a “Green Captain” to be an environmental steward, championing green initiatives among associates and customers and disseminating in-store educational information.

This month, Giant-Landover and its sister banner, Stop & Shop, will give away two Honda Insight Hybrids. Through April 29, Giant customers will automatically be entered to win one of the cars when they buy five participating General Mills items with their Giant card. Customers must use a reusable bag when purchasing these products to be eligible for the prize. Winners will be revealed May 20.

Giant Food, LLC operates 180 supermarkets in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and the District of Columbia, and employs about 22,000 associates. Included within the 180 stores are 163 full-service pharmacies.

In other eco-friendly promotion news, El Segundo, Calif.-based Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market has rolled out a Design-A-Bag Contest as part of an increased bid to get shoppers to use reusable bags. Customers 18 and older can submit their original designs through at www.freshandeasy.com/designabag through May 31. The winning design will be printed on a reusable bag sold at all Fresh & Easy locations.

Additionally, the D’Agostino Supermarkets locations in New York on 10th Avenue between 54th and 55th streets and on Columbus Avenue and 91st Street today will feature Earth Day-themed window art from children who attend the local Smarter Toddler Nursery and Preschools. On April 22, shoppers who make a purchase can get their groceries packed in a paper bag decorated by the kids.

“As New York’s local market, we believe it’s important to give back to our communities, and the kids love coming to the stores, learning and seeing their artwork on the windows and in the hands of customers,” noted president and CEO Nick D’Agostino III of Larchmont, N.Y.-based D’Agostino. “It makes New York the biggest small town in the country.”
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