Written by Sara Lilkas, Marketing Intern It’s that time of year again! School is starting up and the lazy days of summer are gone for another year. As a partner to local communities, Price Chopper believes in giving back to schools and helping to enhance the learning process for local students. The Tools for Schools program runs from now until March 26^th, 2016. At the end of the school year Price Chopper will distribute $500,000 in school supplies among schools in the program. Earning points is easy, once your AdvantEdge card is registered into the program online or at the Guest Services desk, every dollar you spend is one point for your school of choice (alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, lottery tickets, gift cards, stamps, tickets to go, tax, and bottle deposits are excluded) earns points. Double points are earned every Price Chopper or Central Market Classic brand product purchased. You can see how many points you’ve earned for you school on the bottom of your Price Chopper receipt every time you shop! There will be opportunities and contests built into the program for schools to earn bonus points throughout the year! Make sure to visit Price Chopper Facebook page on September 1st for the opportunity to earn 5,000 bonus points! Your school’s coordinator will comment on the Tools for Schools post made that day with the name of your school and the schools code (the code is what is used to register your AdvantEdge card into the program.) Schools receiving over 100 likes will earn 5,000 bonus points! Coordinators! Make sure you have your bonus points checklist handy so you never miss an opportunity to earn bonus points for your school! As part of the Tools for Schools program, Price Chopper will be hosting our annual school supply drive.Now through September 12^th, school supplies you purchase can be donated by placing them into the bins in the front of your local store. At the end of the drive, the Salvation Army will collect the items and distribute them to students in need. To check if your school is enrolled, simply stop at the Guest Services desk or check at pricechopper.com. If your school is not yet in the program, talk to school officials and they can get the school enrolled in the program. Are you a football lover?  Would you like a brand new flat screen TV to watch the big game on in February?

The snow may be steadily falling and the cold is settling in-but we bet your homes are warm with the excitement of football season!  It’s that exciting time of year where the big game is right around the corner and we’re all proudly cheering for our favorite teams!  In honor of this wonderful season, we want to give you, an opportunity to win a flat screen TV courtesy of Unilever or a $200 Price Chopper Corporate Brands coupon booklet with over 25 amazing FREE offers (perfect for purchasing snacks for the night of the big game!).

Do you have a delicious snack you always make for football games, a jersey you always wear, or any fun traditions you and your family do for each game?  We want to see them!  To enter, send us a photo of your favorite football snacks, your team’s jersey, your family/friends watching a game, or ANYTHING football related!  Follow us on Instagram, @PriceChopper, post your photo and use the #PCFootballContest hashtag. If you don’t have an Instagram account, email your photo to photos@pricechopper.com to enter!

This contest runs from January 3^rd until NOON on January 21^st, 2013. One grand prize winner and 10 randomly selected winners will be announced on January 22^nd, 2013. The grand prize winner will receive a flat screen TV courtesy of Unilever. 5 submissions from Instagram and 5 submissions via email will be randomly selected to win. These ten winners will each receive a $200 Price Chopper coupon booklet. Winners submitting on Instagram will be contacted through Instagram; winners submitting through email will be contacted via email. Limit one entry per person. Read official rules here. We have so much to be thankful for and excited about this holiday season!  As you’re making plans to spend time with loved ones, don’t forget to check out everything Price Chopper offers!  Looking for a last minute gift?  Our Ski Any 3 Passbooks make a great gift for any ski enthusiast!  You can also check out our holiday Pinterest boards for some entertaining tips and helpful recipes.

Stop by the Bakery Department at your local Price Chopper for an exciting event this Sunday,  December 9th from 10am-2pm.  You and your family can create a Gingerbread House using our white icing, mini jellies, multicolored mini breads, pinwheels and pucker ups!  While you’re there, snap a photo of your customized gingerbread house and email it to photos@pricechopper as part of our Holiday Moments photo contest- details below!

We want to see how you’re spending your holiday season!  Send us a photo of your special holiday moments this season, whether it’s picking out the perfect tree, lighting the menorah, ice skating with friends, or creating a signature gingerbread house!  Email your photo to photos@pricechopper.com to be entered; only one entry per family please:)  We’ll share our Chopper Shoppers’ photos on our Facebook page and randomly select 3 winners to each receive $100 Price Chopper gift cards.  The contest will run through January 4th- read official rules here.