To help with the massive relief efforts in earthquake-devastated Haiti, employees and customers of The Markets raised $7,325 over a two-week period last month.

Through an innovative partnership with the Western Union Foundation (which has services in several of our stores), a one-for-one match was made, resulting in a total of $14,650.  This donation was made to the American Red Cross's Haiti Relief Fund.  Customers and team members made donations at the time of checkout, and gave generously.

The Markets thank the Western Union Foundation for the opportunity to receive a match, and maximize the donation of hundreds of customers in Washington.

Help Local MDA Kids Attend Camp This Summer

You may recall seeing the green shamrocks in The Markets and other retail stores and restaurants around this time of year.  For the ninth year, The Markets will be hosting MDA Shamrocks Against Dystrophy in each of our stores.  (MDA stands for Muscular Dystrophy Association)

Your checker will ask if you'd like to "buy" a green shamrock for $1, a gold one for $5 or a platinum one for $10.  The money raised in our stores will help send kids to a week of camp at Lake Stevens, Summer camp offers a host of activities specially designed for young people who use wheelchairs or have limited mobility.  Activities include swimming, boating, baseball, horseback riding and talent shows, all at no cost, thanks to fundraising campaigns like Shamrocks Against Dystrophy.

The money you donate also supports several local MDA programs in our communities.  These include support groups for those with muscular dystrophy and their families, research for cures at the University of Washington and Fred Hutchinson Medical Center, as well as free loaner items, such as wheelchairs, and financial support to repair necessary equipment.  There are two MDA clinics, one at Children's Hospital in Seattle and one at the University of Washington, both supported by fundraising.

In western Washington, MDA serves over 2,000 children and adults affected by the 43 different types of neuromuscular diseases.  These diseases are characterized by a progressive degeneration of voluntary muscles.  Two of the more familiar diseases include amyotrophic lateral schlerosis (Lou Gehrig's disease), and Duchenne muscular dystrophy,

Entertainer Jerry Lewis has raised millions of dollars through a Labor Day Telethon for many years, focusing on MDA.  As a voluntary health agency, MDA receives no government funds and its work is dependent on donations from the communities it serves.

So when your checker asks if you'd like to buy "Good Luck for a Buck", remember your dollar, five dollar or ten dollar gift can go a long way to help someone whose mobility is limited.  You can make a difference for families right here in our communities.  For more information, check out www.mda.org   The Shamrocks Against Dystrophy campaign runs through March 17.

The Markets wants to thank you, our loyal and generous customers, for your donations to the American Red Cross Haiti relief fund.

Over the past four weeks, you have reached deep and donated a total of $7,325!  We want to thank our amazing front end team, who asked their customers if they wanted to add a little bit to their grocery bill to help the victims of Haiti's devastating earthquake.

But the donation won't end there:  our partners, Western Union, offered to match our donations one for one through their nonprofit arm, the  Western Union Foundation (foundation.westernunion.com ).

So that means that we have collectively raised $14,650!  This is exactly why we think we have the best customers anywhere!   Thank you!

The Market at Anacortes was proud to present Skagitonians to Preserve Farmlands (www.skagitonians.org) with a check for $2,182.20 recently.

This amount reflects the many, many nickels our green-spirited customers have donated at The Market.  Every time a customer brings his or her own grocery bag, there is the option of having a nickel deducted from the grocery bill at checkout...or donating that nickel or nickels (depending on how many bags used) to Skagitonians. 

Skagitonians is a nonprofit group that protects farmers, farming and farmland in Skagit County.  We have partnered with them for several years, and our customers in Anacortes clearly see their value, leading the way with little donations that really make a difference.

We offer a "pay it forward" nickel rebate for using your own grocery bags at each of our stores.  The nickels in each store go to a different, local nonprofit environmental group.  It's the perfect win-win:  the environmental organization receives much-needed funds and we all work together to reduce the number of plastic or paper bags we use.

Special Coffee Sold at The Market at Fairhaven

When you're brewing your own coffee, consider a way to help a worthy organization. 

The Market at Fairhaven is selling Hospice House coffee at its checkstands.  The coffee, sold for $11.99 per pound, will benefit Hospice House in Whatcom County.

Hospice House, located at 2806 Douglas Avenue in south Bellingham, broke ground last fall.  The House will provide comfort for the dying and help preserve dignity at the end of life.  The first patients are expected later this year.

The coffee is available in either whole bean or ground. But don't wait:  supplies are limited!   For more information about Hospice House, go to www.WhatcomHospiceHouse.org

Checkstand Donations Accepted for Any Amount

The Markets have set up checkstand donations at all 21 stores for Haiti earthquake relief.

Customers are invited to make a donation of any amount, added to their grocery bill at checkout.  All donations will be delivered to the American Red Cross' Haiti relief fund.  At time of this writing, over $37 million has already been donated by generous Americans.The American Red Cross emphasized that financial contributions are what is needed most right now.

For information on the Red Cross relief efforts, go to www.americanredcross.com

First Supermarket Location Nationwide

The first networked electric car charging station in Bellingham, the first north of Hillsboro, OR and the first at a grocery store anywhere in the United States, debuted at the newly remodeled Market at Fairhaven in December.

The station, which is free to use, is a place where electric car vehicles can plug in while shopping at The Market, recharging for the trip home or future travel around town.

"We decided to offer the charging station because of the greater Bellingham community's interest in green technology and the large number of people who already drive hybrids," Kevin Weatherill, President/CEO of The Markets, explained.  He added that the expected growth of plug-in cars raises the critical question:  Where will these cars be plugged in?

The networked charging station was developed by Coulomb Technologies of Campbell, CA, the leader in electric vehicle charging station infrastructure.  Charge Northwest is the infrastructure agent and authorized distributor of ChargePoint Networked Charging Stations from Coulomb in the Northwest.

These early models of all-electric cars have a limited range, requiring the operators to "top off" their battery when away from their normal overnight charging locations.  Studies show that 80% of electric vehicle car owners want to charge more than once a day.  Having a convenient public charging location, like The Market at Fairhaven's, will ease the way for electric cars into the community.

Generally, it takes four to six hours to fully charge a completely depleted battery, but most electric vehicle owners will use the opportunity to "top off" their car while running errands.  A half hour of shopping at The Market will result in about a 10% charge, which is enough to add another 10 miles or so.

"Many of our customers shop several times a week, so it's easy to plug in while they are stopping by," Weatherill explained.  "Having a charging station in our parking lot, clearly marked, just makes good sense."

And why electric vehicles?  President Obama has challenged the automakers to produce one million electric vehicles, road-ready, by 2015.  Early adopters are already converting hybrids to all-electric.  Using electricity is a clean solution to the problem of green house gases, and also reduces the dependence on foreign oil gas-powered cars require.

Progressive communities, such as Bellingham, WA, which has undertaken a Community Energy Challenge (reducing substantially the area's consumption of electricity and natural gas) are embracing electric vehicles.

"Having a free community charging station, whether it's for our local customers, or people traveling the I-5 corridor who need a place to "re-fuel", is important," Weatherill noted.  "We are proud to be able to offer this service as part of our ongoing commitment to environmentally-sensitive iniatives, such as our S.O.R.T. It! recycling program and our "pay it forward" reusable bags."

There are estimated to be about 1,000 electric vehicles in Washington, which includes conversions, plug-in hybrid conversions, neighborhood electric vehicles and electric motorbikes.

For more information, check out the map with ChargePoint network locations:  www.mychargepoint.net .  Visit www.coulombtech.com and www.chargenw.com for details about the technology and the charging network.

The Markets' Private Label Brand Gets Top Prize

The Markets is well-known for its dynamic merchandising, and this has been confirmed by winning the top prize in a national grocers competition.

The entry, for the company's Culinary Circle products, was awarded the best in the private label category this year, beating out a record number of entries across the country.  The annual Creative Choice awards are selected "by a panel of food industry experts as being the best in its class."  The competition is sponsored by the National Grocers Association.

Culinary Circle products were highlighted in several in-store displays and ads that featured the exceptional value and variety of the private label brand.  This year's winning entry joins over two dozen previous awards given for excellence in merchandising.  Our compliments to the Marketing and Advertising team at The Markets for their creativity and commitment to excellence. 

For more information about the awards, go to www.nationalgrocersassociation.com

People of All Ages Will Benefit From Your Generosity

The annual holiday food bank donation campaign, Food For All, ended on January 2 with a resounding cash register ring of success.  This year, our generous customers and employees donated $22,719 to feed hungry families in our own communities.

This is the 11th year that our stores have joined other supermarkets nationwide to help those in need.  We will be happy to present checks to 22 nonprofit, food-based charities.  Most are general food banks open to all, some are community shelters, such as local missions, and a few are for senior citizens.  But the most important thing is that all the recipients desperately are looking for food donations to fill their cupboards during these long winter months.

Thanks to those of you who reached deep and donated $1, $3 or $5: it made a big difference!

It's much more than a name change: The Market at Fairhaven (formerly Southside Food Pavilion) is like a new store, adding over 23,000 new items, special products and departments, with a superior selection of food.  It's a major renovation resulting in a prime destination for people who enjoy preparing and eating great food.

The Market believes "made here is better."  The store offers the best in quality beef, gluten-free products and made-fresh soups.  It features several signature product lines, including the popular DaVinci Classic subs, a Wing Bar with chicken sauced to your liking, Boars Head meats and cheeses (with no fillers, artificial colors or transfats), over 640 gluten-free items (the largest selection in the area), Certified Angus and restaurant quality prime beef, a full-service meat  and seafood case, made-from-scratch Deli entrees, salads and more.  Under its own Taste of Italy and Taste of Asia banners, the store has creatively grouped hundreds of items for these cuisines, including many unique to this area.  It's a store for people who love great food.

The store's own chef will be daily demonstrating how to prepare simple, vibrant dishes.  A wine specialist provides not only inspired recommendations, but also competitive pricing on an impressive selection of wines.

Mornings at The Market are better, because breakfast is being served from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. daily.  Made to order choices include pancakes, biscuits and gravy, and a hearty egg scrambler dish, each for $1.99

Seniors (55 and older) receive a 5% discount Monday through Thursdays, from 7 to 10 a.m.

The store has been recognized by the Washington State Department of Agriculture as a certified organic handler of produce, one of the few in the area.  Building on its commitment to sustainability, The Market encourages customers to bring their own grocery bags, wtih a rebate going to ReSources, the community's environmental organization.  It sells its own organic cotton, Fair Trade reusable shopping bags and wine carriers.

Customers visiting The Market will be pleased to note that free WiFi and comfortable seating adjacent to the Deli are still available, along with terrific values on everyday grocery items, too.  The addition of self-service, along with full-service checkout counters, maximizes the convenience factor for busy customers.

The Market hosted a grand opening, with food samples and special sales, beginning December 16.  If you love great food, you'll want to visit the new Market, just off Interstate 5 at Old Fairhaven Parkway.