IGA Chairman Perspective

Raising Funds for Special Olympics with Bozzuto's Dream Ride

A message from...
Dr. Tom Haggai
Chairman
IGA, INC.

A week ago this Sunday I had the good fortune to be present when IGA Licensed Distribution Company Bozzuto's, Inc., hosted their annual charity motorcycle ride and car cruise in Farmington, Conn. This very special event has been raising funds for Special Olympics in the Northeast for 10 years now, and having attended all 10 of the Dream Ride events, I can honestly say that you'll seldom find a more enjoyable and heartwarming way to spend a day. Even this year with the pouring rain, more than 2000 people from all over the Northeast traveled to Farmington to participate in the two day event, then stuck around for a day filled with inspiring moments shared with the Special Olympic athletes in attendance.

There were bikers and car enthusiasts from all walks of life. In the course of the day I met a construction worker, a young professional and a surgeon. While on the surface they seemed to have nothing in common, they were in fact united by one common goal—they were all there to help Special Olympics continue its mission to contribute to the lifelong development of children and adults with intellectual disabilities. When all was said and done, this year's Dream Ride event raised more than $200,000 for Special Olympics programming in the Northeast, bringing the total funds raised by Bozzuto's Dream Ride events to just under $1.2 million in 10 years time.

As always, it was heartening to see so many contributing their time and effort to help fund Special Olympic programs, and it was equally heartening to see the IGA Red Oval logo everywhere I turned. All of us at IGA owe the Bozzuto's family a huge debt of gratitude for linking our brand with this cause for so many years now. It is dedication to worthy causes—be it on a local, regional, national or global level—that has made this brand what it is today.

Yours devotedly,

Tom Haggai

Retail News

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Walgreen Co. reached a definitive agreement with Graymark Healthcare Inc. to acquire the assets of 18 ApothecaryRx pharmacies located in Colorado, Oklahoma, Minnesota, Missouri and Illinois. Full Story

The Fresh Market will open a 77,128-sq. ft. location in Montvale, NJ, its first in the state, reported NorthJersey.com. Full Story

Inland Real Estate Corporation acquired a 61,048-sq. ft. Copps Food Center in Sun Prairie, WI for approximately $11.7 million. Full Story

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Big Y Foods Inc. now features NCR Corporation's automated deli ordering kiosks in 18 stores throughout New England. All future Big Y stores will also install the combined NCR kiosk software and hardware solution. Full Story

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Manufacturer News

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Coca-Cola redesigned its cokesolutions.com website, reported QSR Magazine. Full Story

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Health News

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Washington News

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Global News

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The Korean Ministry of Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries extended its current organic labeling regulations for imports until Dec. 31, 2012. The U.S. exports about $55 million in organic products to the country. Full Story

Market News

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Cold weather in Argentina may cause a gap in blueberry production, especially with Michigan and British Columbia winding down earlier than usual, stated Ulises Sabato, owner of Blueberries SA, reported The Packer Online. Full Story (Subscription Required)

Wheat prices are rising again as the U.S. gains favor among the world's biggest consumers of the grain, eclipsing France as sellers in the two nations have been locked in a battle for the markets ceded by Russia. France is Europe's biggest grower, but already sold about half of wheat available for export, reported The Wall Street Journal. Full Story (WSJ Subscription Required)

USDA will release its Vegetables report on Sept. 2 at 3:00 p.m. (EST). Full Report

Colombia's coffee harvest may decline in 2011 after wet weather caused the worst outbreak of a plant-damaging fungus in a quarter of a century, reported Bloomberg BusinessWeek. Full Story

Butterball's Kinston, NC-based facility was "heavily" damaged in a fire. The plant processes bulk and prepackaged sliced turkey products, reported ENC Today. Full Story

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Ball Corporation plans to consolidate the production equipment in its Richmond, British Columbia, plant into other company manufacturing facilities. The Richmond plant, which produces steel food cans for the Alaskan and Canadian salmon industry, will cease production during the first quarter of 2011. Full Story

Federal agriculture inspectors at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach found leafhoppers in a shipment of pineapples, reported The Associated Press. Full Story

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