Fresh & Easy’s Shop for Schools Program Raises $1.3M

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- Nearly 2,000 schools actively participated in Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market's third annual Shop for Schools program for 2010-2011 school year, earning more than $1.3 million that each school can use for whatever they need most.

Shop for Schools was launched as a pilot program in spring 2009, and raised more than $130,000 for schools in California, Nevada and Arizona. Fresh & Easy brought the program back in fall 2009, raising another $670,000 for local schools.

Kindergarten through eighth-grade schools located within a three-mile radius of any Fresh & Easy store can participate in the Shop for Schools program. For every $20 spent at a store from Sept. 15 through Dec. 31, 2010, participating schools received a $1 donation.

In addition to collecting receipts, registered schools could also participate in Shopping Nights, which provided the opportunity to raise even more money. From 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on each school's designated shopping night, five percent of the total sales at the local Fresh & Easy store were donated to the school.

"Shop for Schools is much more than just a fundraising program – it is a great way for us to connect directly with parents and teachers to work on the issues that are important for our neighbors," Fresh & Easy CEO Tim Mason said in a statement. "We are thrilled to see such an increase in participation and interest in the program this year, and we know next year's program will be a success with even more partnership with our neighbors."

Fresh & Easy plans to bring the Shop for Schools fundraising program back again this fall and for the first time ever, the retailer will offer online registration starting in mid-May.