In anticipation of reopening the interior of its stores to the public, Big Red Liquors is asking customers to join its Round-Up to Fight Hunger initiative. When customers elect to round their purchase up to the nearest dollar, Big Red Liquors will donate the difference to Gleaners Food Bank.

“During these uniquely trying times, Gleaners Food Bank has worked night and day to feed hungry Hoosiers,” Don Rix, President of Big Red Liquors stated. “When we think about hometown heroes, Gleaners and the food banks and food pantries it supplies are among a long list of Hoosiers going the extra mile to serve our communities.

“Hunger is a challenge every day of every year for children, adults, families and seniors in communities across Indiana. The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in more Hoosiers needing food assistance than ever,” Rix said. “Gleaners is rising to the challenge of feeding Hoosiers in need every day. The Big Red Liquors family wants to be part of Gleaners’ critical work.

Big Red Liquors will make a lead gift of $10,000 to the Round-Up to Fight Hunger Initiative. We want to offer our customers an opportunity to join us in supporting the work of Gleaners Food Bank to meet the needs of hungry Hoosiers.”

Beginning in mid-March, Big Red Liquors voluntarily instituted a series of industry-leading health and safety procedures that exceed state and local guidelines. Those measures will continue to be in effect when customers are welcomed back inside stores. Some of those measures include:

• All Big Red Liquors stores have been sanitized and disinfected by a professional cleaning company
• Supplying all stores with Bloomington-Made Cardinal Spirits hand sanitizer
• Dedicating extra time both before and after a shift for thorough cleaning of each of its retail establishments
• Limiting the total number of people in a store to no more than 10 at a time, including employees, and vendors
• Limiting hours
• Providing the most robust network of home delivery through the Big Red Liquors website and app with “no touch” drop off and ID verification where available
• Offering curbside pick-up to any customer who calls any location directly and requests it or orders through the Big Red Liquors website and app
• Foregoing signature requirements for credit card transactions where permitted by card issuers

Rix believes that the Round-Up to Fight Hunger Initiative has benefits to Big Red Liquors’ employees and customers as well.

“We believe that supporting Gleaners Food Bank will help our customers know that they are making a difference in the fight against CVOID-19,” Rix said. “Additionally, when customers round up their purchase to the nearest dollar, we minimize the exchange of cash at the register. Minimizing touch points between our team members and guests is one more way we can promote health and safety in all of our stores.”

Founded in 1980, Gleaners Food Bank serves 550 food pantries, soup kitchens, schools, and community partners in its 21-county service area. Gleaners has distributed more than 520 million pounds of food to hungry Hoosiers over the past 40 years.

Big Red Liquors was founded in 1972 in Bloomington, Indiana. Big Red Liquors owns and operates retail locations in Bloomington, Indianapolis, Speedway, Fishers, Greenwood, Westfield, Terre Haute, Martinsville, Camby, McCordsville, Carmel, French Lick, Brownsburg, and Bedford. Big Red Liquors employs more than 500 Hoosiers in its 58 retail locations.