Grocery Outlet offers continuing fundraiser for Sunset

Grocery Outlet in Airway Heights recently started a new program for families at Sunset Elementary School.

The owners, Dylan and Tanja Hartung, sent out a letter to everyone at Sunset that included a card to bring to Grocery Outlet. Now every time somebody shops at the store and presents the card to the cashier, 5 percent of their sales will go back towards the school until the end of the academic year.

At the end of every month, the store will write a check to Sunset for 5 percent of the total purchase up to $500.

"Part of us coming here (Airway Heights) was being involved in the community and we know there is a need in the schools," Tanja Hartung said. "This is our way to give back to the community."

The couple moved from Portland, Ore., to Airway Heights one and half years ago to open up the store in the West Plains. Both have been involved with Grocery Outlet for two years but have been in the grocery business for a long time.

"We just fell in love with the community and seeing people excited about the store," Tanja Hartung said.

The Hartung's got involved with the school by a connection from inside Sunset's Parent Teacher Organization (PTO).

"We heard stories from the school and of other programs like the backpack program," Dylan Hartung said. "We just want and hope more people will participate in this new program. People can use the cards as many times as they want and if they lose their card, we will give them a new one."

As this is the first year of offering this, the Hartungs don't know how well it will do, but they hope people will continue using their cards at a steady rate.

"Our goal was to open a store in a small town and be a part of it, not because we need to, but because we want to," Dylan Hartung said. "We are trying to be unique business owners and be involved with the store."

The program is currently just open to staff and families at Sunset Elementary School, but the owners would like to continue offering opportunities like this one for people in the West Plains.

"Come in and just talk to us," Dylan Hartung said. "We just want to get people in our store. We are different than any other Grocery Outlet, so if you had a bad experience at another one, still give us a try."

Grace Pohl can be reached at [email protected].