KROGER CONGRATULATES MIDDLE TENNESSEE FOOD BANK ON AWARD-WINNING HUNGER RELIEF YOUTUBE VIDEO

President Obama’s Inauguration Committee Selects Food Bank’s “Yes We’re Cans” Video as Winner in National Contest

NASHVILLE, Tenn., January 22, 2009 – A video that follows a can of chili from a shelf in a Kroger store through the sorting and distribution process at Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee has won President Barack Obama and Vice President Joseph Biden’s Renew America Together YouTube video contest.

The “Yes We’re Cans” video raises awareness about hunger relief efforts in Tennessee and across the country. The full contest is posted on www.usaservice.org, a website designed by President Obama’s Inauguration Committee to inform, promote and involve the community in the "Renew America Together" initiative.

First Lady Michelle Obama will place a personal phone call to Jaynee Day, president and chief executive officer of Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee, to congratulate the organization on its efforts to promote service in its community.

“The Middle Tennessee Food Bank does a tremendous job day in and day out of feeding hungry people. Food banks across the country are facing unprecedented demand. This creative video draws viewers in and emphasizes how valuable every single donated item is in helping to feed hungry people,” said Lynn Marmer, Kroger’s group vice president of corporate affairs and a member of the board of Feeding America, the largest hunger relief organization in America.

For more than 25 years, The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) has partnered with food banks across the country to support hunger relief efforts in the communities where its customers and associates live and work. Kroger stores in Middle Tennessee support hunger relief efforts year-round by providing donation bins in stores and offering $5 pre-assembled, non-perishable food bags that customers can purchase and donate directly to the local food bank.

About Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee:
Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee feeds hungry people and works to solve hunger issues in the communities it serves. The food bank, which is part of the Feeding America network, distributes food and other products to approximately 400 partner agencies in 46 counties in Middle and West Tennessee. Partners include food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, foster care facilities, senior centers, group homes, and youth enrichment programs. The Food Bank is a private, not-for-profit, tax-exempt organization. For more information, please visit: www.secondharvestmidtn.org.

About The Kroger Co.:
Kroger, one of the nation’s largest retail grocery chains, employs more than 320,000 associates who serve customers in 2,477 supermarkets and multi-department stores in 31 states. Kroger operates stores under two dozen local banner names including Kroger, Ralphs, Fred Meyer, Food 4 Less, Fry’s, King Soopers, Smith’s, Dillons, QFC and City Market. In addition, Kroger associates serve customers in 778 convenience stores, 392 fine jewelry stores and 750 supermarket fuel centers the Company operates. Kroger also operates 41 food processing plants in the U.S. Headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, Kroger focuses its charitable efforts on supporting hunger relief, health and wellness initiatives, and local schools and grassroots organizations in the communities it serves. For more information about the Company, please visit www.kroger.com.

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