Monday June 19, 9:47 am ET
From July 12th through August 5th, customers can help strike out ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) by donating $1.38 or $3.38 at checkout
DEDHAM, Mass., June 19 /PRNewswire/ -- People living with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis across New England are about to get an extra boost of help...from their local grocery store. Shaw's, Star Market and Osco Pharmacy have announced that they'll be stepping up to the mound and joining forces with Curt and Shonda Schilling, and the ALS Association's New England Chapters in an effort to raise funds and awareness for the fight against ALS, more commonly known as Lou Gehrig's Disease.
The partnership will be kicking off on July 12th, with the launch of the "Pitch'n to Win" campaign in all 210-plus Shaw's and Star Market stores across New England. As part of the campaign, customers will be asked to contribute $1.38 or $3.38 at checkout to "Curt's Pitch for ALS" -- the program that Pitcher Curt Schilling, Number 38 of the Boston Red Sox, and his wife, Shonda, organized to fund ALS research and patient/caregiver services. In appreciation of their donation, customers receive a "STRIKE" paper baseball for $1.38 or an "OUT" paper baseball for $3.38. Donors can write their names on the paper baseballs, which will then be displayed on the windows of the supermarket.
The play on the number 38 is at the center of the campaign. It reminds the public that the Schillings are committed to the ongoing efforts to serve ALS patients and fund ALS research. "You don't have to be a professional ball player to step up to the plate. Just by saying 'Yes, I'll do my part with a small contribution' encourages so many people living with this disease to never give up," said Carl Jablonski, President of Shaw's Supermarkets. "Shaw's is proud to be a community partner in this important effort."
"In making this extraordinary commitment to The ALS Association Massachusetts Chapter and its sister chapters serving RI, CT, NH, ME and VT, Shaw's along with Star Market and Osco, are setting the stage for extraordinary advancements in the way we serve ALS patients and fund researchers, said Rick Arrowood, the ALS Massachusetts Chapter President and CEO. "This partnership allows us to raise funds and awareness by reaching out to people that we ordinarily might not have a chance to do so," continued Arrowood.
The "Pitch'n to Win" campaign lasts three weeks, ending on August 5th. The campaign will be heavily promoted in all stores through poster displays and public service announcements by Curt and Shonda Schilling that will play at television monitors located at the registers and by loudspeaker.
What is ALS?
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) -- more commonly known as Lou Gehrig's Disease -- is a motor neuron disease characterized by progressive weakening and wasting of all voluntary muscles, including those associated with moving, speaking, swallowing and breathing. In most cases, the disease does not affect the mind or the senses at all. There is no known cause for ALS and no cure yet but research is on an accelerated pace to find the answers.
About Shaw's
Shaw's, Osco and Star Markets are a division of SUPERVALU INC. Throughout the six New England states, there are more than 210 store locations employing approximately 30,000 associates. SUPERVALU INC. is one of the largest companies in the United States grocery channel with 2,500 retail grocery locations holding leading market positions. SUPERVALU also provides distribution and related logistics support services to more than 5,000 grocery retail endpoints across the country. SUPERVALU currently has approximately 200,000 employees. For more information, please visit http://www.shaws.com or http://www.supervalu.com.
About Curt's Pitch for ALS
Curt's Pitch for ALS, a program of The ALS Association, was founded by Red Sox Pitcher Curt Schilling and his wife, Shonda, in 1993 when Curt was playing for the Philadelphia Phillies. The program has since expanded to include Arizona, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont. It compliments the overall mission of The ALS Association by raising funds for ALS research and patient/caregiver needs, and by raising awareness which is critical to engaging people in all walks of life to join in the quest to find a cure for and improve living with ALS. For more information, please visit http://www.curtspitch.org or contact Scott Edelstein at Scott.Edelstein@als-ma.org.