Kroger will own presentation of the Blue Jackets starting lineup across in-arena, social media and radio platforms. Additionally, the Kroger Kid Starter promotion offers registered youth hockey players, ages 9-12, the chance to be on the ice alongside the Blue Jackets' starters during the performance of the national anthem. The in-market promotion is currently underway and parents may enter their young players by visiting
BlueJackets.com/KidStarter.
In addition to the on-ice recognition, each Kroger Kid Starter will receive four lower bowl tickets to the game and an exclusive gift from Kroger.
Kroger will also present the Blue Jackets' annual Day of Service where the players spend an afternoon during the holiday season volunteering at a basic needs organization in central Ohio. This year, the team will lend a hand at the Mid-Ohio Foodbank.
In addition to electronic and ice-level messaging within Nationwide Arena, Kroger's presence will extend to the four local OhioHealth Chiller Ice Rinks where the grocer holds naming rights to individual rinks within the facilities at Easton, Dublin, Lewis Center and downtown Columbus.
"We're very excited to bring another Ohio-based company and a national brand like Kroger on board as the 'Official Grocery Store' of the Columbus Blue Jackets," said Ryan Shirk, Blue Jackets Vice President of Corporate Partnerships.
"Like the Blue Jackets, Kroger's company DNA is similarly rooted in the community and our like-minded commitment is a terrific foundation for a strong partnership."
"Kroger is very proud to begin its first year as the Official Grocery Store for the Columbus Blue Jackets," said Dan De La Rosa, president, The Kroger Co., Columbus Division. "Hockey is a rapidly growing sport in central Ohio and we are pleased to have this opportunity to support the Blue Jackets, youth hockey and the local community."
About The Kroger Co.
At The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), we are dedicated to our Purpose: to Feed the Human Spirit™. We are nearly half a million associates who serve over nine million customers daily through a seamless digital shopping experience and 2,800 retail food stores under a variety of
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, serving America through food inspiration and uplift, and creating #ZeroHungerZeroWaste communities by 2025. To learn more about us, visit our
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and investor relations
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.
