Giant-Landover Gives $2M-plus to Schools

Giant Food of Landover, Md., is donating more than $2 million to 2,055 schools in its market area of Maryland, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and Delaware. The funds were raised through the Ahold USA banner's 2013-14 A+ School Rewards program, which enabled customers to help support school programs and enrichment activities by making purchases with a Giant card in the chain's stores.

"The A+ School Rewards program allows us to give back, in a meaningful way, to the community that supports Giant," said Gordon Reid, the banner's president. “For a quarter-century, Giant's school rewards program has made a real impact in supporting critical educational and extracurricular programming in our community classrooms across Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia and Delaware."

Linked to shoppers' Giant cards, the program permits them to earn points for all in-store purchases. Customers can choose up to two schools to benefit from their purchases. Since 1989, A+ School Rewards has raised more than $90 million to aid both public and private schools in the Mid-Atlantic region. Funds raised have gone to purchase new computers, additional classroom technology, musical instruments and athletic uniforms, as well as paying for school aides, field trips, sports and after-school programs.

The 10 schools receiving the largest awards from the 2013-14 program are Mater Dei School, Bethesda, Md., $27,353.89; Herbert Hoover Middle School, Potomac, Md., $19,066.43; McLean High School, McLean, Va., $18,797.68; Folger McKinsey Elementary School, Severna Park, Md., $18,722.77; Bodkin Elementary School, Pasadena, Md., $15,216.75; Winston Churchill High School, Potomac, Md., $14,707.54; Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School, Bethesda, Md., $14,214.88; Langley High School, McLean, Va., $14,063.08; Severna Park High School, Severna Park, Md., $12,410.46; and Freedom Hill Elementary School, Vienna, Va., $12,127.21.

Giant Food operates 170 and employs about 20,000 associates; included within the 170 stores are 157 full-service pharmacies.