West Coast IGA Retailers Launching JDRF Campaign

A group of 137 IGA retailers serving communities in the western United States today announced that they have partnered with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, a global charitable supporter of type 1 diabetes (T1D) research to launch a new educational campaign in the retailers’ stores.

The IGA retailers are kicking off their new relationship with JDRF with an education and "paper sneakers" sales campaign that runs from Wednesday, Feb. 6 through Tuesday, March 26, 2013, in their local independent grocery stores.

Colorful JDRF paper sneakers will be sold for $1 at the stores' check stands that shoppers can sign and have posted for others to see. As the numbers of sneakers hanging in the stores grow and shoppers learn more about T1D, the retailers believe their grassroots efforts can make a significant impact in the lives of those dealing with this serious disease. All funds raised at the stores through the campaign will go directly to each store's local community chapter of JDRF.

"Supporting causes that help people in our local communities live healthier and better lives is a very important part of our IGA culture,” said Mike Trask, owner, Granite Falls IGA Market Fresh, Granite Falls, Wash. “Our partnership with JDRF and the upcoming sneaker sales campaign ties nicely with IGA's annual 'Hometown Healthy Challenge,' and we look forward to building on the campaign's success each year through the generosity and support of our local shoppers."

The Independent Grocers Alliance (IGA) represents more than 5,000 Hometown Proud Supermarkets worldwide, supported by 36 distribution companies and more than 50 major manufacturers, vendors and suppliers known as IGA's Red Oval Family partners. IGA has operations in 46 of the United States and more than 30 countries, commonwealths and territories.