Safeway Launches Disabilities Campaign to Bring Hope

Safeway Inc. (NYSE:SWY) today launched a month-long fundraising and awareness campaign that will bring new hope and opportunities to thousands of people who live with disabilities. Through an innovative partnership with Easter Seals and Special Olympics the company announced it will raise millions of dollars this year to fund critical regional rehabilitation services and autism programs, provide job training grants, and adopt athletes so they can participate in Special Olympics games throughout the country.

"Helping people with disabilities has become a passion for Safeway, our employees and our customers," said Safeway Chairman, President and CEO Steve Burd. "Our partnerships with Easter Seals and Special Olympics will bring more awareness to this important issue and provide opportunities for people with disabilities through these innovative programs."

Each year Safeway dedicates April and August to bringing awareness to helping people with disabilities by raising funds at the more than 1,700 Safeway, Vons, Pavilions, Dominick's, Carrs, Randalls, Tom Thumb and Genuardi's stores in the United States and Canada. With one in five people living with a disability, Safeway has reached millions of customers through public service messages and raised nearly $100 million to support organizations such as Easter Seals, the Muscular Dystrophy Association, Augie's Quest and Special Olympics. The company is also focused on providing job opportunities for people with disabilities, employing more than 10,000 people with special needs and helping set an example for corporate social responsibility.

The company kicked off their April campaign at a store in Alameda, California. Safeway executives were joined by a host of celebrities, athletes, elected officials, community leaders, and customers in a bagging competition designed to generate awareness for the disabilities campaign with Easter Seals and Special Olympics. The highlight of the event featured a group of 25 employees with disabilities who participated in a Special Olympic torch ceremony complete with police escort. Easter Seals and Special Olympics have helped recruit community leaders and celebrities to join together in supporting the campaign, including Olympic Gold Medalists Bart Conner and Los Angeles Lakers legend Sam Perkins. At the Alameda event, members of the nationally ranked Cal Bears football team and local Fox and CBS TV broadcasters John Sasaki and Roberta Gonzalez will join the athletes and celebrities for activities with Special Olympics athletes.

Safeway is hosting launch events in other communities to mark this important partnership including California, Colorado, Illinois, Texas and Washington, D.C.

"We continue to be overwhelmed by Safeway's partnership and commitment to the growing and dynamic community of people with special needs," said Jim Williams, president and CEO of Easter Seals. "Safeway is a national leader in providing job opportunities and helping fund local disability centers that provide training and rehabilitation for millions of people."

"Safeway's support of Special Olympics is critical to helping people with disabilities achieve success and reach their full potential," said Special Olympics President Timothy Shriver. "Safeway's generosity and commitment to adopt athletes to train and compete in sports is a dream come true for so many athletes who will now be given the opportunity to succeed."

This year Safeway will use the funds raised in April to fund community disability centers operated by Easter Seals that are located in communities where Safeway operates stores. These facilities provide rehabilitation, training and autism services to people with disabilities. Easter Seals will use a portion of the funds to create a special grants program that will be dedicated to provide job training grants and expand autism programs. In Canada, Easter Seals will use funding to develop a "Kids to Camp" program that will allow thousands of children to learn and further develop intellectually and physically. Additionally, through a unique partnership with Special Olympics, Safeway will help fund the Special Olympics mission to provide year-round sports training and competition to people with disabilities which in turn build acceptance in communities.

"We are excited about this year's campaign and our ability to reach millions of customers about such an important issue," said Safeway Executive Vice President and Safeway Foundation Chair Larree Renda. "These partnerships with Easter Seals and Special Olympics will help Safeway touch the lives of so many people who live with a disability and we are so proud to make such a positive difference."

ABOUT SAFEWAYwww.Safeway.com
Safeway Inc. is a Fortune 100 company and one of the largest food and drug retailers in North America, based on sales. The company operates 1,743 stores in the United States and western Canada and had annual sales of $42 billion in 2007. Safeway supports a broad range of charitable and community programs and in 2007 donated more than $172 million, the equivalent of 20% of its net income, to causes such as cancer research, education, food banks and programs focused on assisting people with disabilities. To learn more about Safeway's sustainability initiatives, go to www.Safeway.com, click on "About Us" and "Going Green."

ABOUT EASTER SEALS
Easter Seals is the leading non-profit provider of services for individuals with autism, developmental disabilities, physical disabilities and other special needs. For nearly 90 years, we have been offering help and hope to children and adults living with disabilities, and to the families who love them. Through therapy, training, education and support services, Easter Seals creates life-changing solutions so that people with disabilities can live, learn, work and play. Support children and adults with disabilities at www.easterseals.com or autism.easterseals.com.

ABOUT SPECIAL OLYMPICS
Special Olympics is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering individuals with intellectual disabilities to become physically fit, productive and respected members of society through sports training and competition. Founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, Special Olympics provides year-round sports training and competition to 2.5 million adults and children with intellectual disabilities across more than 180 countries. The Special Olympics movement offers one of the world's greatest platforms for acceptance and inclusion for all people -- regardless of race, religion, ethnicity or cultural differences. Find out how to be a fan at www.specialolympics.org.