Wal-Mart to give $1 million donation to VFW

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Retail giant Wal-Mart Stores Inc. will present $1 million to the Veterans of Foreign Wars today, the largest corporate donation in the history of the organization.

"It's not going to fill the bucket, so to speak, but it will help us to some degree to fulfill our mission to those who need it most," said Jerry Newberry, a spokesman for the Kansas City-based VFW.

Wal-Mart had promised to match up to $1 million in donations raised by the VFW, money the organization raised in a two-month national drive, he said.

The check from Wal-Mart is earmarked for a variety of VFW programs for current and retired military members and their families. Among them is the organization's Veterans Service Program, which helps veterans obtain benefits, and Operation Uplink, which gives phone cards to help soldiers and veterans call their families.

Bentonville, Ark.-based Wal-Mart, the nation's largest private employer, has also donated more than 2 million phone cards to Operation Uplink over the last three years, the VFW said.

VFW, founded in 1899, has 2.6 million members worldwide.

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On the Net:

Veterans of Foreign Wars: http://www.vfw.org

Wal-Mart Stores Inc.: http://www.wal-mart.com