25th ShopKo Charity Golf Classic Raises $2,234,371
August 02 2004 - 8:30PM
PR Newswire (US)
25th ShopKo Charity Golf Classic Raises $2,234,371 Tops $2 Million
for 5th Straight Year GREEN BAY, Wis., Aug. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- For
the fifth consecutive year, the ShopKo Charity Golf Classic raised
more than $2 million for charitable organizations in ShopKo
communities. Held earlier today on 10 Green Bay area golf courses,
more than 1,500 suppliers, friends and employees of ShopKo, a Green
Bay-based retailer, contributed to the event, benefiting Special
Olympics and other charitable organizations selected by the ShopKo
Foundation. "The ShopKo Charity Golf Classic is extraordinary,"
said Sam Duncan, president and chief executive officer of ShopKo
Stores, Inc. "Two million dollar charity events are very rare --
unheard of in our hometown." Celebrating its silver anniversary in
2004, the ShopKo Charity Golf Classic has raised more than $18
million since 1980. It is currently the largest one-day fundraising
event in the world benefiting Special Olympics which, as the
event's primary beneficiary, will receive $2,155,371 this year.
"ShopKo and its suppliers are changing the lives of more than
80,000 Special Olympics athletes in ShopKo communities," said Jim
Schmutz, Special Olympics North America. "Our mission may be to
provide sports training and competition, but the results go well
beyond the playing field." "For 36 years Special Olympics has been
changing the way people think about individuals with intellectual
disabilities, resulting in greater respect and inclusion of our
athletes in these communities. This generous contribution will help
recruit new athletes to experience the joy of sport, and develop
self confidence and courage to become more active in their
communities," Schmutz said. The ShopKo Charity Golf Classic brings
ShopKo suppliers together from across the country, including
leading consumer product marketers and manufacturers like Procter
& Gamble, McKesson Corporation, VF Jeanswear, AAi Foster Grant,
Reebok International and Timex Corporation. "Our company is very
proud of this event and the difference it makes in our
communities," said Duncan. "I played golf today with Stacey
Johnston, an amazing Special Olympics athlete from Spokane. At
ShopKo, we are better for knowing Stacey and these inspirational
men and women, and we are grateful for the ShopKo suppliers and
teammates who make it happen." Former Packers greats Jerry Kramer,
Max McGee, Jan Stenerud, Dave Robinson, Willie Davis and Fuzzy
Thurston also participated in the event, along with Shandi
Finnesey, Miss USA 2004 and 15 Special Olympics athletes
representing the states where ShopKo stores are located. ShopKo
Stores, Inc. is a customer-driven retailer of quality goods and
services in two distinct market environments. Headquartered in
Green Bay, Wis., the company operates 357 stores in 23 states
throughout the Midwest, Western Mountain and Pacific Northwest
regions. One hundred forty multi- department ShopKo stores are
located in mid-sized to larger cities and 217 convenient one-stop
Pamida stores provide Hometown Value to customers in smaller
communities of rural America. ShopKo Stores Inc. is listed on the
New York Stock Exchange under the symbol SKO. For more information
about ShopKo or Pamida visit our website at http://www.shopko.com/
. Special Olympics is an international year-round program of sports
training and competition for individuals with intellectual
disabilities. One million athletes in more than 160 countries train
and compete in 26 Olympic-type summer and winter sports. Founded in
1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, Special Olympics gives people with
intellectual disabilities continual opportunities to develop
fitness, demonstrate courage, and experience joy as they
participate in the sharing of gifts and friendship with their own
families. DATASOURCE: ShopKo Stores, Inc. CONTACT: Sheree Olson,
+1-920-655-0369, or John Vigeland, +1-920-429-4132, both of ShopKo
Stores, Inc. Web site: http://www.shopko.com/
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