Kroger Health Partners with Trae Young and Turner Sports to Help Drive COVID-19 Vaccinations in Atlanta

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06/02/2021 - 08:30 AM

ATLANTA, June 2, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Kroger Health, the healthcare division of The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), today announced it is working to enable Atlanta's underserved communities to have greater awareness of and access to the COVID-19 vaccine by partnering with Turner Sports, NBA on TNT, and Trae Young, All-Star guard on the Atlanta Hawks.

According to the CDC, 62% of adults in America have received at least one vaccination shot; however, underserved communities – and specifically Black and Brown communities – are still lagging. This is particularly concerning because reports indicate that COVID-19 has disproportionately affected people of color.

"Our Kroger Health team has been working on the frontlines of this pandemic since last spring, delivering quality, accessible healthcare services to Americans of all backgrounds," said Colleen Lindholz, president of Kroger Health. "We are passionate about bringing these services to the people who need them most, which includes communities of color. We want to make sure every American has access to the COVID-19 vaccine. I can't thank Turner Sports, NBA on TNT, and Trae Young enough for their partnership to help make sure that people in Atlanta and the surrounding areas in Fulton County – one of the most vulnerable locations in the country – have the access and awareness they need to get vaccinated."

Kroger Health is the fourth-largest retail healthcare organization in America, with over 2,200 pharmacies and 220 clinics. More than 90% of Americans live within five miles of a pharmacy, making retail healthcare locations a critical piece in the country's COVID-19 vaccination strategy. To date, Kroger Health has delivered more than 4.7 million COVID-19 vaccines.

"Over the last year I have seen my community devastated by the impact of COVID-19," said Young. "It's hit us harder than most. I've been so inspired by the work Kroger and their Kroger Health team are doing to help us get past this pandemic, and I'm honored to partner with them to drive awareness and education of the vaccine in Atlanta and around the country. As a young Black man, I understand the challenges our community faces. Young people and people of color are lagging behind when it comes to COVID-19 vaccinations, and I am passionate about helping bridge that gap."

At the start of the pandemic, Kroger Health began early with drive-thru testing sites, then introduced home testing solutions, and later offered antibody and rapid antigen testing. And since the COVID-19 vaccine was first approved, the Kroger Health team increased operations at all pharmacies and clinics nationwide to be able to deliver 1 million vaccines per week.

"Atlanta is our home, and COVID-19 has been tough on us here. Vaccination efforts are a key part of building back better than ever, so initiatives like this one are crucial right now," said Seth Cole, senior vice president, brand partnerships, Turner Sports. "We are proud to partner with Kroger Health and to use our NBA on TNT platform to help make a difference in communities that need it most."

To schedule a COVID-19 vaccination appointment, visit kroger.com. And to learn more about Kroger's #CommunityImmunity $5 million giveaway, visit here.

About Trae Young:
(Rayford) Trae Young is an American professional basketball player for the Atlanta Hawks of the NBA. He played college basketball for the Oklahoma Sooners. In 2017, he then tied the then-NCAA record in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I single-game assists with 22. An Honorary Board Member of the Children's Center Rehabilitation Hospital in Oklahoma, he was born in Lubbock, Texas.

About Turner Sports:
Turner Sports, a division of WarnerMedia, is an industry leader in the delivery of premium sports content across all platforms, widely recognized for its expansive partnerships with the NBA, Major League Baseball, the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship and the National Hockey League. The Turner Sports portfolio also includes Bleacher Report, the #1 digital destination for young sports fans driving engagement and video views across all social platforms and the B/R app, with premier brands including House of Highlights, B/R Football, B/R Gridiron, B/R Kicks, B/R Betting, B/R Walk-Off, and B/R Gaming. Turner Sports co-manages NBA Digital – comprised of NBA TV, NBA.com, NBA LEAGUE Pass, the NBA App and NBAGLEAGUE.com – as well as NCAA.com and the NCAA March Madness Live suite of products. Visit the Turner Sports online pressroom for additional press materials; follow Turner Sports on Twitter at @TurnerSportsPR.

About The Kroger Co.:
At The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), we are Fresh for Everyone™ and dedicated to our Purpose: To Feed the Human Spirit®. We are, across our family of companies, nearly half a million associates who serve over 11 million customers daily through a seamless shopping experience under a variety of banner names. We are committed to creating #ZeroHungerZeroWaste communities by 2025. To learn more about us, visit our newsroom and investor relations site.

About Kroger Health:
Kroger Health, the healthcare division of The Kroger Co., is one of America's leading retail healthcare organizations, with over 2,200 pharmacies and 220 clinics in 35 states serving more than 14 million customers. Our team of 22,000 healthcare practitioners - from pharmacists and nurse practitioners, to dietitians and technicians – are committed to helping people live healthier lives. We believe in practicing at the top of our licenses and enabling "food as medicine" to help prevent and manage chronic disease. We are dedicated to providing testing and wellness services to help Americans combat the COVID-19 crisis. Learn more at www.krogerhealth.com.