"National Wal-Mart Appreciation Week Kicks Off in Atlanta"

A press release from Americans for Wal-Mart:

ATLANTA – Celebrating the widespread appreciation of Wal-Mart by the American people, americansforwalmart.org has declared the week of July 17 – 22 “Wal-Mart Appreciation Week” across the United States.

“Wal-Mart’s enduring commitment to everyday low prices has reduced the cost of living and boosted the standard of living for all Americans, and we thought it was about time to say thanks,” explained Luke Boggs, executive director of americansforwalmart.org, an independent consumer campaign not affiliated with or funded by Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

“We want to give Americans a chance to show their appreciation to Wal-Mart, and people can participate by simply shopping and saving at their local Wal-Mart store,” Boggs said.

The Atlanta-based group expects Wal-Mart Appreciation Week to be among the largest mass participation events in American history, with more than 125 million people taking part nationwide. That would make this week’s event roughly 25 times as large as Hands Across America (1986) and 250 times as large as Woodstock (1969).

“With more than 125 million American customers per week, Wal-Mart has many, many times more fans than critics,” Boggs said. “We wanted to make sure the voice of Wal-Mart’s customers is heard loud and clear in support of America’s leading retailer and our free market system.”

Visitors to americansforwalmart.org can download commemorative Wal-Mart Appreciation Week bumper and lapel stickers. Customers can share their own Wal-Mart appreciation stories at stories@americansforwalmart.org.

“Despite the relentless efforts of professional rent-a-critics, Wal-Mart remains overwhelmingly popular with the American people – and for good reason. Americans love saving money, we support free competition, and we know the difference between a bargain and a cheap shot,” said Boggs.

“Wal-Mart’s focus on low prices saves the American people $263 billion per year,” said Boggs, citing a 2005 study by Global Insight that examined the overall pricing impact of the popular retailer. “Wal-Mart is creating more than $2,300 in annual savings for every family in America,” Boggs said.

Boggs will kick off Wal-Mart Appreciation Week Monday morning in the parking lot of a Wal-Mart store in Metro Atlanta, where he will thank Wal-Mart employees for all they do to help American families. Other local consumers will discuss why they like shopping and saving at Wal-Mart.

Boggs plans to visit Wal-Mart stores in five cities across four states over the course of the week. In addition to Atlanta, the cities include Knoxville, Tenn. ; Cincinnati, Ohio; Nashville, Tenn.; and Birmingham, Ala.

An independent, grassroots consumer effort not affiliated with or funded by Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., americansforwalmart.org is the sole and founding campaign of Americans For Free Enterprise, a Georgia-based nonprofit. Visit the group online at www.americansforwalmart.org.

The executive director of americansforwalmart.org is Luke Boggs, an Atlanta writer and proud Wal-Mart customer. Boggs has written about Wal-Mart for publications including The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, DSN Retailing Today and Human Events. He recently spoke about Wal-Mart on a panel at Columbia University.

Now if we only had a Wal-Mart in Pullman that we coukld appreciate.

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