Hy-Vee Extends Arbor Day Foundation Partnership with $100,000 Donation

Minnesota Tree Planting Event Builds Upon Hy-Vee's Reforestation Commitment

LINCOLN, Neb., October 25, 2018 – The Arbor Day Foundation announced today that it has extended its partnership with Hy-Vee, Inc., a supermarket chain in the Midwest. For the third year in a row, Hy-Vee presented a $100,000 donation to support tree plantings and reforestation projects around the communities it serves. This announcement extends the existing partnership which was initially established in 2014. Since then, Hy-Vee has planted 318,070 trees within its eight-state region, including Loess Hills State Forest (Iowa), Nebraska National Forest (Nebraska), Chippewa National Forest (Minnesota), Douglas and Bayfield County Forests (Wisconsin) and Good Earth (South Dakota).

"We are thankful to Hy-Vee for its continued partnership," said Dan Lambe, president, Arbor Day Foundation. "Because of its past generosity, forests across the Midwest have benefited and have been able to continue to help clean our air and water and provide a natural habitat for wildlife. With this increased support, communities across the region will benefit from expanded tree canopies which bring additional environmental benefits to the area as well natural beauty."

To mark the partnership expansion, Hy-Vee employees participated in a community tree planting today benefiting The Meadows, a new park in the city of Plymouth, Minnesota, set to be completed in fall 2019. Hy-Vee employees planted 30 new trees at The Meadows park to replace trees that were in various stages of decline as well as add to the natural beauty of the area. The trees that were planted included Kentucky coffee trees, hackberries, honeylocusts, bicolor and red oaks, river birch and disease-resistant elm and catalpa trees. In addition to its $100,000 check presentation that was made at today's event, Hy-Vee also covered the $21,000 expense to plant the trees at The Meadows park. In total, today's $121,000 donation was made possible due to the company's One Step program.

"One of the main pillars of our One Step program is reforestation projects", said Brett Bremser, Hy-Vee's chief merchandising officer and executive vice president. "With the help of our customers purchasing One Step paper products, we are able to partner with and assist the Arbor Day Foundation with projects across our eight-state region. We want all aspects of people's lives to be healthier and happier – this includes taking care of the environment through various sustainability efforts."

When Hy-Vee customers purchase One Step paper products or Seventh Generation cleaning products, a portion of each sale is dedicated to reforestation projects throughout Hy-Vee's region. The company has made a commitment to plant 100,000 trees each year.

The environmental impact of the Arbor Day Foundation's partnership with Hy-Vee is vast. The 318,070 trees planted with Hy-Vee's support have reduced erosion from years of farming and helped stall the spread of competing invasive species in national forests. For example, Hy-Vee helped repopulate the Nebraska National Forest ponderosa pine forest and seed source following multiple fires that put the forest in jeopardy. Hy-Vee has also planted trees to help maintain habitats for animals like the American bald eagle in Chippewa National Forest, as well as ruffed grouse, turkeys, deer, black-billed cuckoos, blue-winged warblers and brown thrashers in the Bayfield and Douglas State Forests.

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About the Arbor Day Foundation
Founded in 1972, the Arbor Day Foundation has grown to become the largest nonprofit membership organization dedicated to planting trees, with more than one million members, supporters and valued partners. Since 1972, more than 300 million Arbor Day Foundation trees have been planted in neighborhoods, communities, cities and forests throughout the world. Our vision is to help others understand and use trees as a solution to many of the global issues we face today, including air quality, water quality, climate change, deforestation, poverty and hunger.

As one of the world's largest operating conservation foundations, the Arbor Day Foundation, through its members, partners and programs, educates and engages stakeholders and communities across the globe to involve themselves in its mission of planting, nurturing and celebrating trees. More information is available at arborday.org.

Hy-Vee, Inc. is an employee-owned corporation operating more than 245 retail stores across eight Midwestern states with sales of $10 billion annually. The supermarket chain is synonymous with quality, variety, convenience, healthy lifestyles, culinary expertise and superior customer service. Hy-Vee ranks in the Top 10 Most Trusted Brands and has been named one of America's Top 5 favorite grocery stores. The company's more than 80,000 employees provide "A Helpful Smile in Every Aisle" to customers every day. For additional information, visit www.hy-vee.com.