Communities In Schools of North Carolina Network Joins Walmart in Largest Walmart Back-to-School Supply Drive in NC’s History

July 7, 2011

Washington, NC--Walmart, Communities in Schools of North Carolina (CISNC) & the Beaufort County United Way have partnered together for the 2011 “Build A Backpack” back-to-school supply drive which collects and distributes school supplies for economically-disadvantaged students in Beaufort County.

This statewide effort is the largest school supply drive ever conducted by Walmart in North Carolina. It involves all 138 local Walmart stores across the state, totaling 77 counties whose student population will benefit from this drive.

The campaign, which runs until August 21, 2011, involves Walmart customers being asked at check-out to contribute school supplies. Walmart customers can purchase pre-packaged school supplies in various set dollar amounts or individual items of their own choosing. Bins will be available in Walmart stores to collect donated items.

“We could not be more thrilled…to serve our state’s students,” said Ronny Hayes, Regional Vice President of Walmart and Board Member of CISNC. “It is our hope that the back-to-school supply drive piloted here in North Carolina, with the invaluable help of Communities In Schools to ensure that the neediest students be the recipients of the collected items, will serve as a model across the country.”

Local Walmart Manager Tim Schuman states, “The Build A Backpack program is an incredible opportunity for Walmart, its employees & its customers to show their commitment to the academic success of all students in Beaufort County. By working together, we can ensure that our young people have access to necessary school supplies and show through our actions the importance of education.”

As an affiliate of CISNC, the Beaufort County United Way will work in partnership with its community partners and Walmart to identify and distribute supplies to those students with the most need. The Beaufort County United Way will coordinate local volunteer efforts to ensure the backpacks are filled with supplies and presented to students before classes start.

IBM, in honor of its centennial celebration, has lent its support to this drive by asking its 10,000 employees and retirees across the state to volunteer their time to pack donated supplies in backpacks and help distribute these backpacks to students in the Beaufort County Schools district.

Walmart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) serves customers and members more than 200 million times per week at 9,029 retail units under 60 different banners in 15 countries. With fiscal year 2011 sales of $419 billion, Walmart employs more than 2 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting www.walmartstores.com.

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