Boys & Girls Club of the Suncoast in Pinellas Park Benefits from Walmart Neighborhood Market
New store celebrates grand opening with $18,000 in local grants.

PINELLAS PARK, Fla., Sept. 17, 2008 - Pinellas County's first Walmart Neighborhood Market debuted Wednesday, Sept. 24, offering a shopping format that provides area customers quick, convenient access to low-cost groceries, prescriptions and household products. The store celebrated its grand opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

"We are going to offer a number of amenities to ease and suit the shopping needs of our customers, such as our pharmacy with two drive-through lanes," says Store Manager Dennis Shultz. "I know a lot of our patrons will want to get in and out of our store in a timely manner. Whether they're heading home from work or they just need to pick up a couple of items, we're going to provide them the convenience and format they've been looking for in a neighborhood grocery store."

Community Involvement Measures
Another focus of the Pinellas Park Neighborhood Market, Shultz says, is on partnerships that provide financial and volunteer assistance to local organizations. The store's initial contribution of $18,000 in grants went to six organizations, including a $5,000 grant to the Boys & Girls Club of the Suncoast in Pinellas Park.

"This is a great time for our club and for this grant since we are getting ready to start remodeling our facility," says Kevin Whitlow, director of the Boys & Girls Club of the Suncoast in Pinellas Park. "We are hoping to start this project in early October, and we plan to earmark this grant money from Walmart to be used specifically for the computer and Internet section." The club has been in the Pinellas Park area for 40 years.

Like all Walmart stores, the new store will make contributions throughout the year. Groups interested in learning more about funding from Walmart can contact the store for details or go to www.walmartfoundation.org.

"The opening of this store couldn't have come at a better time," says Mayor Bill Mischler. "The new jobs and increased tax revenue this store will provide are a plus for Pinellas Park. From those looking for full-time work, to others needing a part-time job to supplement their income, this grand opening will help a number of our residents in a variety of ways."

The new store is also committed to offering products that are affordable and sustainable. Walmart is working with suppliers to reduce the amount of excessive packaging on the products it sells. And reusable bags, available for $1 each, can reduce the number of disposable plastic shopping bags the store needs. Every 2 million reusable bags sold by Walmart eliminates the need for 100 million plastic bags, thereby saving nearly 1.2 million pounds of plastic resin.

Walmart Neighborhood Market:
6900 U.S. Highway 19 North, Pinellas Park, Fla.