NACDS Show Exhibitors Donate 9,500 Pounds of Products

The National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) donated 9,500 pounds of consumer goods to several charitable organizations throughout the Denver area.

Following the completion of the NACDS Marketplace Conference, held last week at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, exhibitors donated leftover products ranging from cosmetics, health and hygiene products, food and beverages and household supplies to other consumer products available in chain pharmacies.

"We cannot thank NACDS' associate members enough for their generosity in donating consumer products at the conclusion of the Marketplace Conference," said NACDS president and CEO Steven C. Anderson, IOM, CAE. "During these challenging economic times, these products will help many of those in need in the Denver community. We appreciate the work of the Colorado Convention Center and the United Way in helping to ensure that Denver's most vulnerable citizens receive these products to care for themselves and their families."

Working with the Colorado Convention Center and the United Way, NACDS donated the consumer products to several charitable organizations to be dispersed to those in need in the Denver area.
The non-profit charitable organizations accepting the donations were:

• Florence Crittenton School: Provides education, career guidance and parenting skills to help teen parents raise healthy families and become self-sufficient members of the community.
• Urban Peak: Helps homeless youth and youth at risk of becoming homeless overcome real life challenges by providing essential services and a supportive community, empowering them to become self-sufficient adults.
• St. Francis Center: Assists men and women who are homeless, providing shelter and other services that enable them to meet their basic needs for daily survival and to transition out of homelessness.
• Senior Support Services: Provides resources and support for senior citizens who are homeless, offering meals, access to medical care and counseling and support services to help them lead more self-sufficient and fulfilling lives.

“What a wonderful contribution The National Association of Chain Drug Stores made to our community,” said Richard Scharf, president and CEO of Visit Denver. “Not only did NACDS bring $6.6 million to Denver’s economy as a result of the Marketplace Conference, but they also donated a wide range of health and hygiene products, food and beverages and household supplies to some of our citizens most in need. That was a beautiful gesture and on behalf of Denver’s tourism industry and our 50,000 employees, we would like to thank NACDS for all they did for Denver,” Scharf said.

NACDS represents traditional drug stores, supermarkets, and mass merchants with pharmacies – from regional chains with four stores to national companies. Chains operate more than 40,000 pharmacies and employ more than 3.5 million employees, including 130,000 pharmacists. They fill over 2.6 billion prescriptions annually, which is more than 72 percent of annual prescriptions in the United States.