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Wal-Mart's International Giving Touches Thousands of Communities Around the World this Holiday Season

Wal-Mart's International Giving Touches Thousands of Communities Around the World this Holiday Season

Published 12-11-08

Submitted by Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

BENTONVILLE, Ark., Dec. 11, 2008 "“ Throughout the holiday season, Wal-Mart stores around the world are giving back to their local communities. From associate volunteering to in-store fundraising, Wal-Mart and its associates are doing their part this Christmas to help people in need.

"It is a joy to see our markets around the world helping people live better during this special time of year," said Mike Duke, vice chairman, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. "Given the state of the global economy, we recognize that our commitment to the communities we serve is even more important to our associates and customers."

  • In Brazil, Wal-Mart supports local children's shelters during the holiday season, helping more than 10,000 children receive presents on Christmas Day last year and anticipate touching the lives of even more children this December. In addition, through the "Volunteer Classified" program, associates are connected with organizations their foundation supports and are able to work with them directly. Wal-Mart Brazil, as well as its customers and associates, continues food donations throughout the holidays to food banks, with more than 2,000 tons of food already collected this year.

  • In Mexico, Wal-Mart has created special shops, located in the parking lots of 400 retail stores, where customers and associates can adopt children or elderly people and purchase toys or a kilogram of rice or bean seeds to help their nutrition. Wal-Mart associates will deliver the presents and the bags of seeds in time for Christmas through local charitable institutions. Winter clothing is also being
    collected through Suburbia stores nationwide and will be distributed through the Red Cross. In addition, for every two items of clothing collected, Fundacion Wal-Mart in Mexico will donate one bag of seeds to also help with nutritional needs in the communities. At Mexico Sam's Clubs, associates are offering members the opportunity to take
    photos with Santa. The more than $20,000 raised will be used to buy nearly 50,000 toys for TV Azteca’s "Jugueton" holiday toy event.

  • In Puerto Rico, Wal-Mart's "Keep a Soul Warm During Christmas," in partnership with "Community Initiative," a non-government organization specializing in helping the homeless, local TV channels 2, 4 and 11, and a group of local artists, customers are encouraged to buy quilts at Wal-Mart stores that will be donated to homeless people to keep them warm during the winter season. Wal-Mart Puerto Rico will also donate funds to "Community Initiative" to assist
    with other programs for the homeless. In addition, Wal-Mart Puerto Rico will be working with The Salvation Army’s Christmas Kettle Campaign.

  • In Canada, this year Wal-Mart hosted The Salvation Army's first-ever National Kettle Launch at various stores across the country, marking the beginning of The Salvation Army's 2008 Christmas Campaign. The Salvation Army and Wal-Mart associates will ring the bells and invite customers to support the annual campaign, which will run from Nov. 19 through Christmas Eve in hundreds of stores nationwide. In 2007, Wal-Mart Canada became the single largest fundraising venue for The Salvation Army's Christmas Kettle campaign. Wal-Mart stores continue to support local organizations, food banks and toy drives through instore fundraising and local matching grants.

  • In Argentina, for the seventh consecutive year, funds obtained through Wal-Mart's "Do a Lot with a Little" campaign will go toward social projects for nongovernment organizations located near Wal-Mart stores during the Christmas season. Also, at every Wal-Mart Supercenter and Changomas store, nongovernment organizations are given the opportunity to wrap presents purchased at our stores in exchange for donations from our customers. In addition, the Wal-Mart Argentina Home Office has donated nearly 2,000 toys and the distribution center has donated more than 30 pallets of general merchandise to the "Food
    Bank Foundation."

About Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT)

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. operates Wal-Mart discount stores, supercenters, Neighborhood Markets and Sam's Club locations in the United States. The Company operates in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Japan, Mexico, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico and the United Kingdom and, through a joint venture, in India. The Company's securities are listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the
symbol WMT. More information about Wal-Mart can be found by visiting
www.walmartstores.com. Online merchandise sales are available at www.walmart.com and www.samsclub.com.
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. logo

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) helps people around the world save money and live better – anytime and anywhere – in retail stores, online, and through their mobile devices. Each week, more than 200 million customers and members visit our 10,700 stores under 69 banners in 27 countries and e-commerce websites in 10 countries. With fiscal year 2013 sales of approximately $466 billion, Walmart employs more than 2.2 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting corporate.walmart.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/walmart and on Twitter at twitter.com/walmartgreen. Online merchandise sales are available at www.walmart.com and www.samsclub.com.

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