BJs Wholesale Club and Live, Learn and Thrive Donate $5,000 to Newnan Coweta Boys & Girls Club

Funding to support Power Hour program

April 23, 2010

BJ’s Wholesale Club, in partnership with Procter & Gamble’s™ (P&G) corporate cause Live, Learn and Thrive, announced today that they have donated $5,000 to Newnan Coweta Boys & Girls Club to fund its Power Hour Program.

“The investment that BJ’s and P&G’s™ corporate cause Live, Learn and Thrive puts into the kids today academically will take them from the classroom to the boardroom and their philanthropy footprint of kindness and generosity will be passed on to the next generation of board leaders,” Darryl Smith, Sr. Executive Director of the Newnan Coweta Boys & Girls Club.

The grant will support Power Hour, the Club’s homework and tutoring program, designed to raise the academic proficiency of Boys & Girls Club members ages 6-12.  Funding will be used specifically toward monthly incentives, program supplies, science projects and games.

“BJ’s Wholesale Club takes great pride in giving back to local educational programs that primarily benefit children and families in the communities we serve,” said Deanna Hemperley, BJ’s community relations specialist.  “We are excited to partner with P&G’s™ corporate cause Live, Learn and Thrive to support the Newnan Coweta Boys & Girls Club that offer children an engaging and secure learning environment for them to develop into productive and positive individuals.”

BJ’s Wholesale Club and Live, Learn and Thrive donated $5,000 grants to 19 other Boys and Girls Clubs’ Power Hour programs in various communities BJ’s serves. The recipients were chosen based on their need and proximity to a BJ’s location.

“P&G is proud to partner with BJ’s to support the Boys & Girls Club Power Hour program,” said Robert Murphy, Procter & Gamble Director for BJ’s Wholesale Club. 

“Power Hour is a fabulous program, which fulfills our mission to help children Live, Learn, and Thrive by providing an opportunity for kids to have a nurturing place to go after school for help with their class work and be surrounded by strong role models from the community.”  

Last year, BJ’s and P&G donated $5,000 grants to 20 other deserving Boys & Girls Clubs.  And for the last few years, BJ’s has supported various Boys & Girls Clubs distributing nearly $113,500 in grants through the BJ’s Charitable Foundation.

The Newnan/Coweta Boys & Girls Club is part of Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta.

ABOUT BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF METRO ATLANTA
Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta operates 27 Clubs in 11 metro counties in addition to Camp Kiwanis and Youth Art Connection, a gallery and workspace for young artists. A trained and professional staff serves more than 17,000 youth annually by offering specialized programming and a safe haven for at-risk and underprivileged children and teens. Memberships cost only $35 per school year but scholarships are available for those who need assistance. For more information or to make a promise to metro Atlanta children, please visit http://www.bgcma.org

About BJ’s Wholesale Club
BJ's is dedicated to providing members with high-quality, brand-name food and merchandise at prices that are significantly lower than supermarkets, supercenters, department stores, drug stores and specialty retail stores.  BJ's carries the most product variety of any wholesale club with more than 7,000 items, including supermarket-sized staples, USDA Choice meats and stock-up items. BJ's is the only wholesale club to accept all manufacturers' coupons and for greater convenience, offers the most payment options including EBT.Headquartered in Natick, Massachusetts, BJ's Wholesale Club, Inc. is a leading operator of warehouse clubs in the eastern United States.  The Company currently operates 187 clubs and 105 gas stations in 15 eastern states.  Learn more and shop online at BJs.com or for exclusive content visit Facebook.com/bjswholesaleclub.

Giving back has always been at the very core of BJ’s culture.  Through local clubs, corporate sponsorships, in-kind donations, volunteerism, national programs and the BJ’s Charitable Foundation, BJ’s supports and enhances programs that provide vital services within each community we serve.  For more information about BJ’s corporate commitment to the community, please visit, www.bjs.com/about/community/. About Procter & Gamble
Four billion times a day, P&G brands touch the lives of people around the world. The company has one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Pampers®, Tide®, Ariel®, Always®, Whisper®, Pantene®, Mach3®, Bounty®, Dawn®, Gain®, Pringles®, Charmin®, Downy®, Lenor®, Iams®, Crest®, Oral-B®, Actonel®, Duracell®, Olay®, Head & Shoulders®, Wella®, Gillette®, Braun® and Fusion®. The P&G community includes approximately 135,000 employees working in about 80 countries worldwide. In these countries and beyond, P&G is committed to improving lives for children in need through its global cause, Live, Learn and Thrive.  Every day P&G Live, Learn and Thrive® is helping children get off to a healthy start, receive access to education, and build skills for life.  Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and in-depth information about P&G, its brands, and Live, Learn and Thrive.                                                                           ###