Safeway To Donate Nearly $17 Million For Critical Breast Cancer Research And Prevention Programs

Main Category: Breast Cancer
Article Date: 09 Nov 2007 - 10:00 PDT

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Safeway Inc. (NYSE:SWY) announced it will provide nearly $17 million for critical breast cancer research and prevention programs in the United States and Canada. The announcement follows a month-long breast cancer fundraising and public service campaign in all of Safeway's 1,738 stores where customers, employees and suppliers joined together in making donations to help find a cure and bring awareness to the devastating disease that impacts millions of women and families each year. Safeway made the announcement during a roundtable discussion at The White House with representatives of the Office of Faith Based and Community Initiatives. The company is being recognized and honored for its corporate giving programs today as part of the US Chamber of Commerce 2007 Corporate Citizenship Awards.

"Our employees, customers and suppliers are passionate about finding a cure for breast cancer and the results of our month-long campaign will fund important research and prevention programs move closer towards ending the devastation of breast cancer," said Larree Renda, Safeway Executive Vice President and Chair of The Safeway Foundation. "By partnering with the most innovative research institutions and focusing on critical prevention programs, we are helping bring hope to millions of women and families who join with us in finding a cure."

Safeway has become a corporate leader in cancer research, providing nearly $70 million for breast cancer and prostate cancer causes during the past six years. Safeway dedicates the month of October to raising money for breast cancer research and prevention programs where customers can make donations at each checkstand and purchase specially marked "pink ribbon" products in stores.

In addition to raising funds, this year's campaign focused on educating women about detection and prevention of breast cancer, the second-leading cause of cancer deaths among women. The company reached millions of women through public service messages that appeared in radio commercials, electronic point-of-sale screens, in-store signage, weekly print sales circulars and the safeway.com website. Grammy and Oscar winner Melissa Etheridge, a breast cancer survivor, lent her name and voice to the public service messages and donated proceeds from the sale of her new critically-acclaimed CD, "THE AWAKENING," sold in Safeway stores to breast cancer research and awareness programs. Ms. Etheridge also performed at The Safeway Foundation's benefit Gala on November 3, which raised $1.4 million for the Foundation.

The breast cancer funds raised during October will be distributed to more than a dozen of the leading, most well respected and innovative research institutions throughout North America. The purpose of the grants is to invest the dollars toward critical research that can help find a cure. Some of the specific research facilities that will receive research funding include:

Arizona -- Translational Genomics Research Institute
California -- The Carol Franc Buck Breast Cancer Center at the University of California San Francisco
California -- The Revlon Women's Cancer Research Program at UCLA
California -- City of Hope
Canada -- The Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation
Colorado -- The Anschutz Breast Cancer Unit at the University of Colorado
Colorado -- The Susan G. Komen Foundation
Illinois -- The Lurie Breast Cancer Unit at Northwestern University
Maryland -- The Kimmel Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins University
Oregon -- Providence Hospital Comprehensive Cancer Center
Pennsylvania -- The Linda Creed Breast Cancer Center and the Fox Chase Cancer Research Center
Texas -- The Nellie B. Connally Breast Cancer Center at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
Washington -- The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
Washington, DC -- The Medstar Cancer Research Institute

In addition, Safeway will fund several mobile mammography screening units that bring free or low-cost digital mammograms to women in rural and low-income neighborhoods throughout the United States. The company currently funds mobile units in Alaska, California, Nevada, Texas and Washington. Safeway continues to be a major supporter of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, a global leader in breast cancer research and community-based support and education. The company sponsors the Komen "Race for the Cure" in 10 cities throughout the country.

Safeway has become a corporate leader in supporting important causes in the communities where it operates stores. In 2007 the company sponsored four major fundraising drives that raised nearly $40 million for charitable causes. In April and August $6.8 million and $7.3 million were raised to support people with disabilities to support Easter Seals and the Muscular Dystrophy Association. In June nearly $11 million was raised for the Prostate Cancer Foundation and in October, nearly $17 million for breast cancer causes.

About Safeway

Safeway Inc. is a Fortune 100 company and one of the largest food and drug retailers in North America, based on sales. The company operates 1,738 stores in the United States and western Canada and had annual sales of $40.2 billion in 2006. Safeway supports a broad range of charitable and community programs and this year will donate more than $172 million, the equivalent of 20% of its 2006 net income, to important causes such as cancer research, education, food banks and programs focused on assisting people with disabilities. The company's common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol SWY.

http://www.safeway.com