Hy-Vee Supports the American Heart Association Through Fundraising & Education

Origins:

Hy-Vee’s mission is to make lives easier, healthier and happier. For more than 55 years, Hy-Vee has served pharmacy patients across the Midwest. To coincide with the grocer’s continued growth across the health care industry, Hy-Vee became a partner of the American Heart Association in 2018 and over the years has provided financial support for critical research into new cardiovascular treatments and medications. Recent studies indicate that more than 6 in 10 U.S. adults will develop some type of cardiovascular disease within the next 30 years. It’s also estimated that 7 out of 10 people don’t know what to do in an emergency. To increase awareness and support around heart disease and stroke on a more hyperlocal level, Hy-Vee decided to launch a monthlong in-store campaign during the month of May with the American Heart Association — using its reach and presence to unite customers and employees around the important cause. The campaign supported the American Heart Association’s “Life Is Why” initiative, raising funds through a companywide register roundup and increasing awareness among customers and employees via in-store educational events in select markets.

Contribution:

As a pharmacy provider, Hy-Vee is committed to increasing healthcare access. Leveraging its retail footprint, Hy-Vee was able to seamlessly pull off this multifaceted campaign by reaching, engaging and educating individuals within its local communities to align with this mission. In addition to collecting donations at the register to support further medical research, Hy-Vee also hosted free CPR education in four different markets throughout its trade territory. Members of the public and employees were invited to visit Hy-Vee to learn compression-only CPR (also known as hands-only CPR), which can be equally as effective as traditional CPR in the first few minutes of emergency response. CPR is an essential lifesaving skill that can double a cardiac victim’s chance of survival. Providing this critical education — and at no cost — offered an easy way for individuals to learn how to act quickly, calmly and confidently in an emergency.

Objectives:

The purpose of this campaign was multi-pronged. By supporting the “Life Is Why” initiative, Hy-Vee aimed to:

• Raise funds to support further research into heart disease and stroke

• Increase awareness about heart disease and stroke within its communities

• Provide free education and CPR training to customers and employees

• Demonstrate Hy-Vee’s overarching commitment toward making lives healthier

Every facet of the campaign was planned in a way to make it easy for customers to engage. For example, the register roundup allowed customers to easily round up to the nearest dollar at checkout. Relatedly, the free CPR trainings were offered on a walk-in basis with no registration required and were available for everyone ages 9 and up.

Impact:

Within 31 days, Hy-Vee and its customers raised more than $265,000 through the register roundup to help support the fight against cardiovascular disease and stroke. The campaign was also successful in raising awareness across the Midwest, reaching more than 1.3 million readers/viewers in news coverage. The campaign was featured in a special WHO-13 "Hello Iowa" segment, which focused on “turning bystanders into lifesavers.” The segment included experts from the American Heart Association who shared how bystanders can identify signs of stroke and cardiac arrest and how to calmly and confidently take action when an emergency arises. Hy-Vee also promoted the campaign internally among 150 employees, holding a webinar with Kevin Harker, executive vice president of the Midwest region for the American Heart Association, as well as Michelle Mazzara, a heart attack survivor and local Hy-Vee supplier who shared how her personal journey inspired her to launch a clean-eating brand called Luvafoodie that supports heart-healthy lifestyles.

Quote:

“Hy-Vee is proud to join the American Heart Association in its mission to fight heart disease and stroke through the Life Is Why campaign. This initiative offers our customers a meaningful way to give back and make a difference. Together through awareness efforts, we can help create a healthier future for everyone.”

- Jeremy Gosch, Chairman & CEO, Hy-Vee, Inc.

Support Statement:

"Hy-Vee’s dedication to the Life Is Why campaign shows how businesses and individuals can come together to create real change in the fight against cardiovascular disease. Their support will help advance research, expand life-saving training, and deliver critical resources to communities in need, bringing us closer to a world of longer, healthier lives.”

- Kevin Harker, Executive Vice President of the Midwest Region for the American Heart Association