Association Prize Benefits Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE)
CHICAGO, June 13, 2005 – The National Confectioners Association (NCA) today awarded its first-ever Corporate Citizenship Award to Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., and will donate $50,000 in Wal-Mart’s honor to the Students in Free Enterprise organization.
“NCA members overwhelmingly named Wal-Mart as a company that makes a real difference all around the world,” said Larry Graham, NCA president. “We’re particularly impressed with Wal-Mart’s focus on local charities, on educational programs and on children’s health.”
“While we’re pleased to be singled out by NCA, we’re even more pleased that this gift will help a terrific organization like SIFE,” said Ronnie Hoyt, Wal-Mart senior vice president - general merchandise manager. Hoyt accepted the award at NCA’s annual convention in Chicago tonight.
Wal-Mart has been a SIFE contributor for 20 years, helping to support SIFE’s free enterprise studies at 1,800 college campuses around the world. SIFE offers students the opportunity to develop leadership, teamwork and communication skills through learning, practicing and teaching the principles of free enterprise.
Funding to SIFE is just part of Wal-Mart’s overall support of education programs: the Wal-Mart/SAM’S CLUB Foundation provided more than $40 million in funding for educational purposes last year, and also provides tuition discounts, scholarships and on-line education programs for Wal-Mart associates.
In total, the Wal-Mart/SAM’S CLUB Foundation contributed more than $170 million to more than 100,000 charities and community groups in 2004, with about 90 percent of those donations directed to individual communities.
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. operates Wal-Mart Stores, Supercenters, Neighborhood Markets and SAMS CLUB locations in the United States. Internationally, the company operates in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, Japan, Mexico, Puerto Rico, South Korea and the United Kingdom. More information about Wal-Mart can be found by visiting www.walmartfacts.com. Online merchandise sales are available at www.walmart.com.
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