In the News

Jennifer Saathoff takes her shopping seriously — at least when a new store opens. The Bradley resident was first in line for the opening of Meijer Supercenter this morning. She showed up with her fiance, Kevin Pawlowski, and his mother, Peggy, at 4:30 a.m. They brought out chairs, sitting next to a “Line starts here” sign. “I love this store. I’ve been to Meijer before,” Saathhoff said.

Almost exactly two years to the day that the Bradley Kmart closed its doors, the Meijer Supercenter, 990 N. Kinzie Ave., will open Thursday to the public. The doors are expected to be open at 7 a.m., with an official ribbon-cutting ceremony scheduled for 10 a.m.

Customers at the Richmond Meijer can help the Community Food Pantry by purchasing $10 Meijer Simply Give donation cards between now and June 17.

The most important numbers during next month's 5th Annual Meijer LPGA Classic won't just be found on the scorecards. Meijer officials threw out a big number during Monday morning's press conference at North Kent Connect in Rockford that is one to keep an eye on, too: $1 million.That's how much they to raise $1 million for its Simply Give program, which provides food for the retailer's food pantry partners across the Midwest.

Soon enough the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give will be back on and today, 13 ON YOUR SIDE learned more about the mission of the big event. The Meijer LPGA Classic is happening from June 12 to June 17 at the Blythfield Country Club. This year's goal is to raise a million dollars for food pantries in West Michigan.

The Salvation Army is partnering with Meijer this spring for the customer-driven food pantry donation program Simply Give. “Our food pantry can see up to 60 families a day visit us for assistance,” said Lt. Jonathan Taube of The Salvation Army of Muncie. “Many of them feel an extra strain in the summer without the help of school lunch programs for their kids.”

The Meijer LPGA Classic held their annual Media Day on Monday where they announced that all four past champions, plus Michelle Wie and Lydia Ko, will be returning next month for the tournament at Blythefield Country Club. Meijer also spent the morning donating four palettes of food to North Kent Connect where those who need food can shop up to once a month.

The field continues to take shape for the 5th Annual Meijer LPGA Classic at Blythefield Country Club. Meijer officials hosted a media day Monday morning at North Kent Connect in Rockford, and Cathy Cooper, the tournament's executive director, released the names of five recent commits. She said stayed tuned for more announcements in the upcoming weeks.

A golfing tournament that brings the top female golfers in the world to West Michigan while helping feed those in need turns five this year. Over the past four years of the Meijer LPGA Classic, Meijer has donated more than $3.1 million to food pantries. This year, organizers hope to raise an additional $1 million. The money raised through the tournament goes to Meijer’s Simply Give program, which supports 235 pantries across the Midwest by allowing them to purchase fresh fruits, vegetables, dairy and lean meats.

If you or your kids are looking for a full or maybe part time summer job, Meijer is hosting a 3-day hiring fair that kicks off today. It runs Monday through Wednesday at the Pinnacle Center on Highland Drive in Hudsonville. Meijer says it’s looking to hire nearly 200 new employees for the new store which opens this summer.