Hundreds of ShopRite and Wakefern Food Corp. employees volunteered at the 2022 Special Olympics New Jersey Summer Games recently at The College of New Jersey, celebrating the event’s return after a two-year hiatus. ShopRite and Wakefern have been proud sponsors of Special Olympics New Jersey for over 30 years, providing food, activities and volunteer contributions each year.
“Our associates were excited to see the Summer Games return this year and are grateful for the opportunity to support these incredible athletes,” said Robert Zuehlke, manager of corporate social responsibility at Wakefern, which is the logistics, distribution and merchandising arm for ShopRite stores. “We’re proud to be a longtime sponsor of Special Olympics New Jersey, and it’s always a privilege to take part in this incredible annual event.”
This year, approximately 500 Wakefern associates and their families donated their time at the weekend’s events, assisting with the games, preparing lunches and working in several Wakefern-sponsored tents featuring activities for athletes to enjoy during downtime between events, including miniature golf, fruit basket building and photo tents.
Additionally, Wakefern provided the athletes, their families and volunteers with approximately 13,000 meals during the weekend.
The event kicked off last Friday with the annual Law Enforcement Torch Run, which raises funds and awareness for the Special Olympics program. The run stops at more than 40 ShopRite supermarkets throughout the state, where ShopRite provides water, ice and fresh fruit for the participants.
Wakefern and ShopRite are committed to giving back to the communities they serve through volunteerism, food donations, sustainability programs and more. More than half of all Wakefern associates donate their time or resources to local organizations each year.
