Retailers Make Good Neighbors

BI-LO seed money Raises $100,000 for Tsunami Relief

In January Mauldin, South Carolina based BI-LO supermarkets supported Tsunami relief efforts by matching $25,000 in gifts to the American Red Cross International Disaster Relief Fund for their efforts with the disaster. That $25,000 commitment served as the catalyst for raising a total of $100,000.

“With our world facing the challenge of trying to recover from one of the most devastating natural disasters ever recorded, we want to step up and offer a helping hand,” said Dean Cohagan, president and CEO of BI-LO. “We want to make sure the Red Cross has the resources to continue providing shelter and food for people needing help.”

The money helped pay for hygiene kits, which cost approximately $79 each, that contain items for a family of six for one month. Additionally, family kits allow a family of six to set up temporary housing. The American Red Cross plans to distribute 10,000 family kits, helping as many as 60,000 individuals.

At BI-LO, shoppers were asked to scan a special Red Cross card at the check out to donate $1 or more to the relief effort. One hundred percent of the funds collected were donated to the effort.

The American Red Cross has more than 60 local chapters in BI-LO’s market area, which includes the Carolinas, Georgia and Tennessee. BI-LO, with headquarters in Mauldin, SC, operates 282 supermarkets and employs 22,000 associates.