Meijer Donates $10K to MI Food Banks

Meijer Inc. has donated $10,000 to two southeast Michigan food banks as part of the retailer’s nationwide online holiday contest, “Get Gifted,” which also awarded one winner with $10,000 in Meijer gift cards.

Meijer representatives and grand-prize winner Vicki Spokes presented the $10,000 donation to Gleaners Community Food Bank and Forgotten Harvest last week. Both food banks are members of Feeding America, the nation’s leading domestic hunger-relief charity with a network of 200 food banks nationwide.

“While we are always pleased when our customers engage with our brand online, it’s especially satisfying when the end result provides a benefit to such a worthy cause,” said Kevin Brown, Meijer’s chief marketing officer. “Food giving continues to be a focus at Meijer, and we appreciate our customers joining us in this effort.”

Each year, Meijer donates more than 6 percent of its net profits to charity.

The “Get Gifted” contest launched nationwide in November to give customers a feel for the hot brands of the season by offering players a chance to explore three rooms of a Meijer home through 360-degree videos. It was the first time a big-box retailer utilized the interactive 360-degree video technology with a contest.

The contest drew nearly 3.3 million featured merchandise clicks and more than 255,000 sweeps entrants. The contest launched on Nov. 10 and concluded on Dec. 18.

More than 100 prizes – three each day – were awarded throughout the contest period; they included a Nintendo 3DS, a 32-inch Vizio television and a Barbie Dream Townhouse. The grand-prize winner received $10,000 in Meijer gift cards.

The $10,000 donation to the Feeding America member food banks equals more than 34,000 meals for the hungry.

Grand Rapids, Mich.-based Meijer operates 197 supercenters and grocery stores throughout Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky.