Wal-Mart to donate $258K to military groups - Army News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Army Times

Wal-Mart to donate $258K to military groups

In its continuing effort to reach out to the military community, Wal-Mart has announced that 68 new stores will donate a combined $258,000 to military charities across the country as part of grand opening celebrations.

The donations will go to Disabled American Veterans, American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars posts, Operation Homefront and the National Guard. Examples of donations are a $3,000 donation to the National Guard in Woodstock, Ill.; a $5,000 donation to the VFW post in Columbus, Ohio; and a $6,000 donation to the American Legion post in Nebraska City, Neb.

In some areas, new stores have banded together to support a larger effort, such as a combined $15,000 donation to the Georgia chapter of Operation Homefront, which helps military families in need.

Wal-Mart employees at the new stores will hand out postcards to customers for sending a note of thanks to the troops and will remind customers that the troops need to be remembered even after the holidays, according to a press release from the company. The stores will collect the postcards and make sure they are delivered overseas to troops from their hometown.

Wal-Mart wants to help military families at this time of need when troops are deployed, a company official said.

“As a company with more than 3,000 associates on military leave of absence, and even more associates who are veterans, Wal-Mart is committed to demonstrating our support and honoring these individuals for what they give in serving our country,” said Pat Curran, executive vice president of Wal-Mart Stores Operations, in the company’s press release.

This effort brings donations by Wal-Mart to at least $6 million in the past several years, including $500,000 to six military communities during the holidays; a $1.5 million donation to Sesame Workshop, to develop outreach kits to help children deal with the stresses of having a parent deployed; $3.7 million in grants in 2005 to community veterans’ organizations; and financial support to the Paralyzed Veterans of America Outdoor Recreational Heritage Fund.