Food City to Sell Reusable Shopping Bag to Benefit Friends of Coal of Pikeville

Food City to Sell Reusable Shopping Bag to Benefit Friends of Coal of Pikeville
Abingdon, VA. - Thursday, Apr 14, 2016.

In honor of Earth Day, Food City and Friends of Coal of Pikeville/COA have partnered to design a special commemorative reusable shopping bag.  The graphics depicted on the reusable bag highlight many of the projects made possible by the coal industry’s reclamation efforts. 

Hundreds of projects within the coal fields have been made possible through the use of land made available from surfacing mining.  Locally, the list includes Pike County Airport, Stone Crest Golf Course and Equine Center, Knott County Sportsplex, areas schools, hospitals, as well as industrial and residential developments.  Surface mining development has also provided farm land and grazing pastures for cattle, elk and deer. 

“The shopping bag we have created paints a story of successful reclamation projects throughout our coal fields.  We hope the community will join us in support of our local coal miners and their families wishing to further their education,” says Julie Wilson, Friends of Coal of Pikeville/COA.

The commemorative bags will be available for sale in area Food City locations on Earth Day, April 22nd.  Each bag, filled with valuable Food City exclusive brand merchandise will retail for only $10.00 plus tax.  100% of the proceeds from bag sales will be used to provide scholarships for displaced miners or their children wishing to continue their education at a local university or higher education center.

“We would like to thank our co-sponsors listed on the side of each bag.  Their generosity helped make the development of these bags possible,” says Tim Collins, Food City store manager.  “We would also like to thank the University of Pikeville, Big Sandy Community and Technical College and American National University, all of whom have agreed to match the scholarship amounts at their institutions.  And, we are reaching out to other institutions in hopes of growing this list.”

“The coal industry has provided essential employment for thousands of residents, along with usable land for countless projects throughout our region.  We’re proud to be a part of this important project that benefits our environment and such a worthy cause,” says Steven C. Smith, Food City president and chief executive officer. 

“Several years ago, we set a goal to reduce the use of traditional plastic bags by 10% through our reusable shopping bag program,”’ adds Smith.  “This is another step toward reaching that important goal.” 

Shoppers wishing to recycle their plastic shopping bags are encouraged to deposit them in Food City’s conveniently located collection containers.  The bags are bundled and sent to a recycler where they are given a second life, as a new usable material.  Last year alone, Food City recycled over one million pounds of plastic through their recycling program.

Headquartered in Abingdon, Virginia, K-VA-T Food Stores (Food City’s parent company) operates 135 retail outlets, including 101 pharmacies and 87 fuel/convenience stores throughout southeast Kentucky, southwest Virginia, east Tennessee, Chattanooga and north Georgia.  For more information, visit their website at www.foodcity.com.