Happy spring, everyone! The weather has definitely made a turn for the better and with daylight saving time in place, it seems like it is time for all of us to get back outside and on the road to our way to normal routines.
One sign of normalcy returning occurred in early March when Bozzuto’s held its Independent Retailer Conference at Mohegan Sun. The crackerjack team at Bozzuto’s kept their streak intact with another successful show and conference. Fact is, Bozzuto’s has not missed one trade show since the pandemic started! Imagine that. While some of those shows were understandably a little bit lighter on attendance due to COVID fears and concerns, the Bozzuto’s team always enacted the strictest of health protocols and safety measures and I can tell you, as someone who attended all of those shows, I never felt unsafe or at risk. This most recent show demonstrated the desire for everyone to get back to normal business and trading times. The attendance was back to pre-pandemic levels and masks were far and few between! Kudos to everyone who put the show together and, with any luck, you might be able to catch the Fab Four of Steve Heggelke, George Motel, Steve Traun and Dan Brock at an outdoor music venue this summer!
A big shout out to Goya Foods as the company announced it will distribute hundreds of thousands of pounds of food to the people of Ukraine in response to the international call for critical aid of food, fuel, and medicine. Goya Europa, the European arm of Goya Foods Inc., and Goya’s facilities and distributors throughout Europe, enable Goya to provide humanitarian aid and quickly mobilize products to Ukraine and Poland, where many refugees are fleeing. “Through our Goya Gives global initiative, Goya has always been at the forefront of disaster and humanitarian relief efforts, however, this is a historic attack and genocide on innocent civilians and we cannot sit back and do nothing,” said Bob Unanue, president and CEO. “We are blessed to have a presence nearby and we are fortunate to be able to answer the call for help. We send our prayers and love to the people of Ukraine and all those who are on the ground putting their own lives at risk to help those in need.”
“Goya Europa’s strategic location allows us to react with immediate assistance. We have already begun handling the logistics of sending the food through our distribution partners in Poland and Ukraine,” said William Unanue, general manager of Goya Europa.
Through Goya Gives, Goya donated more than 4.5 million pounds of food during the pandemic, more than one million pounds of food to the people of Puerto Rico during Hurricane Maria, more than 400,000 pounds of food to the starving people of Venezuela during governmental unrest, and more than a million pounds of food to Haiti during the earthquake, and at home during Superstorm Sandy, and Hurricanes Isaac, Harvey, Irene, and Ida. Great job to all involved and prayers to those on the frontlines in Ukraine.
Author, author??? Is there a new calling for recently named SVP at Inserra Supermarkets, Jim Dorey? Jim just released a published book which is available on Amazon. The title is “Just Keep Swimming” and it is a tome that helps you to self-empower and transform yourself into something remarkable. The notes state that you will learn to become a leader of the future and define your life in a way that inspires people. This is your chance to motivate yourself and practice skills that can help you level up. It is a guidebook that gives away Jim’s experiences and life advice, along with helpful strategies and tools to step out of your comfort zone. It will help you learn to grow and deal with situations that enable you to move forward with a positive approach.
“Just Keep Swimming” will change your perspective about life and success and if you are someone who wants to figure out how to live a better life and be more productive with whatever resources you have, this book is for you. How you live your life should be your own decision, not anyone else’s. Filled with valuable lessons, this guidebook can be the key to turning the tables in your favor. So make sure you go to Amazon and grab a copy and I’m sure Jim will autograph any books you purchase the next time you see him. Best wishes and congrats, Jim!
And speaking of things related to Wakefern Food Corporation, ShopRite store associates once again gave their all to help others and earn a spot on the front of a Cheerios cereal box. Photos of 102 ShopRite associates will appear on limited-edition Cheerios boxes as part of an annual tradition recognizing associates for fighting hunger in the communities where ShopRite stores operate. Store fundraising efforts this year raised more than $1.1 million for regional food banks. To earn a coveted photo on the cereal box, ShopRite associates across stores compete each September in the annual ShopRite Partners In Caring Cheerios contest, a friendly competition sponsored by ShopRite and Cheerios maker General Mills. This year’s contest theme was “Our ShopRite Partners in Caring All Stars,” and donations were collected at check-out and in-store in the fight against hunger. The campaign also encourages customers to round their grocery purchases up to the nearest dollar. The top fundraising stores select associates to appear on the cereal box in spring.
“Shoppers may recognize their favorite associate on this iconic cereal box when they visit our stores and pick up Cheerios. We are proud of the efforts by our hard-working associates and generous customers to raise money for regional food banks and help put food on the table for families facing food insecurity,” said Rob Zuehlke, manager of corporate social responsibility at ShopRite. “The ShopRite’s Partners In Caring Cheerios contest is a beloved tradition among our associates and an important tool in our fight against hunger.” ShopRite and General Mills will recognize the 45 top fundraising ShopRite stores and associates with special in-store celebrations and cereal box unveilings from March 10 through May 6. Nearly 150,000 of the limited-edition, customized cereal boxes will be sold exclusively at ShopRite this spring. Each winning store also receives prize money ($3,000 for the top five stores, and $500 for the remaining winning stores) that is donated to local food pantries chosen by the respective store teams. The top store during the campaign was The ShopRite of Brodheadsville in Brodheadsville, PA, which is owned and operated by the Kinsley family, and is the top fundraising store for the second year in a row! Kudos to all involved in this great effort.
And while recognizing charitable endeavors, a tip of the hat also to the good people at King Kullen, which recently came to the aid of Long Islanders in need by hosting its annual in-store Check Out Hunger campaign. Their efforts raised $25,000 that was donated to the Long Island Cares/Harry Chapin Food Bank, which has served the hungry on Long Island since 1980.
“The need for emergency food supplies on Long Island continues to rise for families and people of all ages throughout Nassau and Suffolk. Long Island Cares helps provide food where and when it is needed. Once again, we want to thank our customers for contributing to the Check Out Hunger campaign. King Kullen and Wild by Nature have been proud to support Long Island Cares for many years and remain committed to fighting hunger on Long Island,” said president and COO Joseph W. Brown. King Kullen was the first supermarket chain to participate in the annual Check Out Hunger campaign back in 1997, a unique partnership between Long Island Cares and the shopping community in which customers can make a donation with a coupon when checking out at the supermarket register. One hundred percent of all donations go to Long Island Cares.
“King Kullen and Wild by Nature have made a meaningful difference in the fight against hunger,” said Long Island Cares/Harry Chapin Food Bank CEO Paule T. Pachter. “Their customers continue to generously support our mission and we are forever grateful for their support all these years.” Well done to all the associates at King Kullen!
And it’s last call for applications for the annual James and Theresa Nolan Family Foundation and Eastern Produce Council Scholarship (EPC). Susan McAleavey Sarlund, executive director of the EPC, told us that the scholarship is open to all EPC members in good standing. Applicants for the $5,000 scholarship must be related to an EPC member who has been a member of the council for at least six months preceding the date of the application. The deadline is April 22. For all of the details, go to www.easternproducecouncil.com or email [email protected].
Well, that will do it for now everyone. It was great catching up with many of you at several of the recent trade shows and dinners, and I cannot wait to interact with many more as the trade calendar is truly starting to fill up again. If you have an event that is not listed in our Trade Calendar, shoot me a note and let me know and we’ll be sure to get add it. Looking forward to the spring season and, as always, you can reach me at 201.250.2217 or [email protected].