Safeway donation will help pay for digital Mammovan

The Safeway Foundation on Monday gave $100,000 to help fund the purchase of a new digital Mammovan that will provide mammography services to uninsured, low-income and geographically isolated individuals throughout Nevada.

The grant, accepted by Nevada Health Centers Inc., was one of 27 funded by monies raised at Safeway stores in the Northern California Division during its October fundraising campaign for breast cancer research and awareness.

Grants were given to organizations serving Northern California, Western Nevada and Hawaii - regions that make up the Northern California Division of Safeway Inc.

In October, Safeway as a company raised $8.3 million dollars during the monthlong effort. The Safeway Foundation will award $774,000 in 2007 to organizations in its Northern California Division fighting breast cancer. This is an increase of more than $300,000 from grants awarded by the division in 2006. The grants announced Monday range in size from $10,000 to $100,000.

Nevada Health Centers Inc. is the only Nevada organization to receive a grant. Since its inception in 2000 the center has provided more than 18,500 mammograms and diagnosed 63 women with breast cancer.

"I am proud of our Mammovan and so grateful for the community support from Safeway," said Steve Hansen, chief executive officer of Nevada Health Centers. "Our goal is to diagnose breast cancer at its earliest stages when it is most treatable. We would not be able to provide these important breast cancer screening services without partners like Safeway. Together we are improving the health of women throughout Nevada."

Improved breast cancer treatments and increased awareness resulting in early detection are the two leading factors identified by the American Cancer Society for decreasing the number of deaths from breast cancer in the United States.

Safeway will once again raise funds in October to help organizations conducting research that will further reduce the rate of deaths from breast cancer.

Safeway Inc. is a Fortune 500 company and one of the largest food and drug retailers in North America. The company operates 1,761 stores in the U.S. and Canada and had annual sales of $40.2 billion in 2006. Safeway's common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol SWY.