‘Tops in Education’ Program Launches

Tops Markets LLC has introduced “Tops in Education,” a program to help elementary, middle and high schools in the Northeast grocer’s trading areas raise funds for improvements and programming.

The initiative offers public and private schools in upstate New York and northern Pennsylvania the chance to get funding for school improvements and programs. Customers, through their regular shopping trips at Tops, can help raise money for local schools through the grocer’s donation of a percentage of their expenditures on Tops, Full Circle or TopCare branded items.

Once registered, every time shoppers buy participating Tops brand, Full Circle or TopCare products with a Tops BonusPlus or BonusCard during each school year, the company will donate a percentage of those purchase dollars to customers’ chosen schools. Tops will send each school a check for the amount raised at the close of each school year.

“Tops has an unwavering commitment to the communities we serve, and part of that commitment is the mission to help improve the quality of life for children,” said Frank Curci, president and CEO of Williamsville, N.Y.-based Tops, which has more than 14,000 associates and operates 133 full-service supermarkets -- 127 company-owned and six franchise locations. “One of the most important things we can do as a company is give back, especially when it comes to supporting and enriching our local schools.”

Schools need to be registered for the program to receive funds, and customers must also register on the site to participate. Both can register online, and shoppers can select up to two schools to support.

“[W]ith the challenging budget demands that our schools currently face throughout our geographic footprint, it is more important than ever that we do what we can to help,” noted Andrew Brocato, Tops’ director of community relations.

For the upcoming school year, customers can raise funds for their chosen schools through April 30, 2013. Consumers can check their current school balances beginning Sept. 1 by logging into their accounts, where they will see the names of their schools and the total current amount the schools have raised to date. Customers and schools must re-enroll at the end of the school year for the next school year.