ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Supercenter retailer Meijer Inc. has signed a five-year agreement to be a regional sponsor of the American Diabetes Association’s Stop Diabetes movement.
Under the pact announced this week, the Grand Rapids, Mich.-based chain will support the Stop Diabetes effort by sponsoring key association activities in the retailer’s five-state market area in the Midwest.
"From healthy foods to athletic gear and exercise equipment to pharmacy services, Meijer is committed to providing healthy living solutions to our customers storewide," Karen Mankowski, vice president of pharmacy operations for Meijer, said in a statement. "This partnership with the American Diabetes Association is just one more way Meijer is helping keep our customers’ health top-of-mind."
Activities include Step Out: Walk to Stop Diabetes, Diabetes Camps and Live EMPOWERED. In addition, the retailer will provide customers with diabetes educational information from the association.
"We are thrilled to collaborate with Meijer and increase our efforts to Stop Diabetes," stated Larry Hausner, chief executive officer of the American Diabetes Association. "It is with sponsors such as Meijer that we are able to extend our outreach and vision to bring awareness to the communities we serve every day."
This collaboration marks the latest initiative that Meijer has launched to address the rising incidence of diabetes. In November, the retailer launched a chainwide effort to train more than 200 pharmacists as diabetes specialists. In 2010, Meijer began offering the most commonly prescribed treatment for type 2 diabetes, metformin, at no charge to those with a prescription.
Meijer operates 199 supercenters and grocery stores, all with pharmacies, in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky.
