FOOD LION CELEBRATES FROZEN FOOD MONTH

STEPHANIE FAGNANI

SALISBURY, N.C. -- Food Lion here celebrated National Frozen Food Month last month with community events dedicated to families and the ever-prominent penguin, who serves as the official mascot of the frozen-food category.

Earlier in the year, the Frozen Food Council of North Carolina met to plan the 2nd Annual Penguin 8K Run and One-Mile Family Fun Run/Walk event, which was held last month. Geoff Waldau, director of category management at Food Lion, hosted the council's meeting and also acted as guest speaker.

About the time of the meeting, the council also shipped 1.2 million retailer-specific direct-mail pieces to consumers eager for discounts on favorite frozen-food products. Further involving the community in the chilly events, Food Lion last month gave students at the Isenberg Elementary School here the opportunity to name its frozen-food costume penguin character. After careful consideration, the name Iceberg was chosen.

Students were also given fun activities to participate in, such as word finds and de-scrambles, which focused on nutritional frozen foods. Students from each grade level were also entered into a contest to win frozen-food shopping sprees at the Food Lion store closest to their school.