PEZROW RUNS FSI TO HELP HOMELESS KIDS

JUDY CORCORAN

RAMSEY, N.J. -- Pezrow here, one of New York's largest food broker organizations, has produced 4 million freestanding inserts in conjunction with a fund-raising effort for Covenant House, an organization providing shelter and sanctuary to 41,000 homeless children. The FSI was delivered Sunday, June 4, through all of the major Metro New York, New Jersey and Connecticut newspapers.

The full-color 16-page coupon circular contains 28 separate extra-value coupons with a total savings of $13. Twenty percent of every page tells a story about how Covenant House provided assistance to New York-area kids. The FSI also provides information on how to make a contribution to Covenant House.

Participating at the retail level are Pathmark, ShopRite, Waldbaum's, A&P, Grand Union, Key Food, King Kullen, C-Town, Met Foods, Pioneer, Associated, Kings and Foodtown. They are providing merchandising programs, end-aisle displays and in-store demonstrations for the brands taking part. These retailers are also donating half- and full-page ads in their circulars to publicize the FSI.

Twenty brand marketers, represented by Pezrow, are involved. Their products include Glad-lock bags, Goya Adobo, Vaseline Intensive Care Lotion, Hidden Valley Ranch Salad Dressings, Very Fine Apple Quenchers, S.O.S. pads, Pro 409 Degreaser and Multi-Purpose Cleaner, Swiss Formula Hair Care System, Mrs. Smiths Pies, Tortino's Pizza Rolls, Jack Frost Sugar, Energizer Batteries, Alka-Mints Chewable Antacid, Land O' Lakes American Cheese Singles, Land O' Lakes Butter, Ball Park Classic Beef Franks, Yardley of London, Good Humor, Nabisco Easy Cheese, Smucker's Toppings, Tampax Satin Touch, Country Time Lemonade, Kool-Aid Bursts, Softsoap, Michelina's and Yu Sing, and Mentadent.

The promotion, called "Save a Life, Save a Lot," was developed by Pezrow in conjunction with Alba Kids, a promotion agency based in Bethel, Conn. Pezrow has made a five-year commitment to this promotion and the company hopes to raise $150,000 for Covenant House this year. The New York-area food industry's association with Covenant House began four years ago when Jim McGuire, group vice president at Twin Country Grocers, formed the Food Industry for Covenant House. The group, made up of manufacturers, distributors and grocers, supports the organization with an annual golf/tennis outing, which has raised $790,000 for Covenant House over the years. This year the outing will be held Monday, June 26, at the Hackensack Golf Club in Oradell, N.J.