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2017 BAB Retailer Luncheon Press Release

The 2017 Buy Alabama’s Best Retail Campaign Launch Awards luncheon was recently held at The Club. The group is made up of the Alabama Grocers Association, the Alabama Department of Agriculture & Industries, and the Alabama Food Manufacturers and Producers Association.

Presentations were made by Mr. Don Wambles, Director of AG Promotions with the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries; Mrs. Ellie Taylor, President, Alabama Grocers Association; Mr. Frank D’Amico, III of BTC Wholesale Distributors and Vice Chairman, Alabama Grocers Association; Mr. Keith Lusk of Golden Flake Snack Foods and Vice President, Alabama Food Manufacturers and Producers Association; Ms. Sara Franklin, the Lollar Group; and Dr. Kimberly Whelan, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Children’s of Alabama. Alabama Food Manufacturers and Producers Association members as well as retailers and wholesalers throughout the state of Alabama were also in attendance.

Mr. Don Wambles, Director of AG Promotions with the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries; Mr. Keith Lusk, Vice President, Alabama Food Manufactures and Producers Association; and Mr. Frank D’Amico, III, Vice Chairman, Alabama Grocers Association, presented Display Contest Award Certificates for 2016.

These displays featured participating Alabama food products to help consumers identify which products are headquartered, produced or manufactured in the state of Alabama. Awards were given to the following retailers:

•  Sav Mor Food Outlet, Calera, AL
• Foodland, Gardendale, AL

During the months of March and September, a portion of the sales of participating Alabama food product companies along with retail sales of icons raised monies for the UAB Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology at Children’s of Alabama.

A check was presented to Dr. Kimberly Whelan in the amount of $54,977 for 2016. Since 2006, the Buy Alabama’s Best Campaign has raised $678,308 to fight pediatric cancer.

“This generous donation from local Alabama businesses associated with the Alabama Grocers Association will help us meet our mission of working to cure every child with cancer,” said Whelan. “Children’s of Alabama is working to find a cure each and every day.”

Mrs. Ellie Taylor, President, Alabama Grocers Association announced to those in attendance that the Buy Alabama’s Best Campaign would be a quarterly event going forward. This year they will target March, June, September & December as designated months for retailers to show support of the Alabama products.

Following the presentation, a buffet featuring all Alabama food products was enjoyed by those in attendance.

The purpose of the Buy Alabama’s Best Campaign is to identify and increase awareness of Alabama food products and increase sales of those products. Alabama food product sales have a $2 billion impact in Alabama’s economy, tax base and along with the food service industries, employ one out of every four Alabamians.

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