In cooperation with the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District, Macerich Company employees delivered the ingredients for holiday meals to 110 families, culminating the fourth annual Big Red Bucket corporate food drive.
Each16-gallon bucket contains specified non-perishable items for a complete holiday meal, as well as a gift certificate for a turkey or a ham. The Macerich Company encouraged their employees and vendors to fill the buckets with canned vegetables, chicken broth, gravy and cranberry sauce, stuffing or biscuit mixes, powdered milk, ready-made pie crust and filling; and staples such as flour, sugar and cornmeal.
The meals were distributed locally on December 12. Each family also received a $50 “One Great Gift Card,” which is accepted anywhere Visa debit cards are accepted.
Several families, including a Gulf Coast family displaced by Hurricane Katrina. also received Christmas Trees, food, money and clothing.
“Families traditionally gather together for a holiday meal this time of year; the Big Red Bucket campaign makes this seasonal tradition a reality for more area families,” said Susan Valentine, senior vice president of marketing for Macerich. “What began as a philanthropy effort among corporate employees in 2001 has grown into an outreach effort undertaken by many of our regional shopping centers. Together with dozens of participating centers, we have fed thousands of deserving families this holiday season.”The Macerich Company owns approximately 79 million square feet of gross leaseable area consisting primarily of interests in 75 regional malls, including Santa Monica Place.