Fred’s stores remember Sept. 17
In honor of the day America “went back to work” after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Fred’s stores across the country are making donations.
About $700 went to local city police and fire departments last week, with a check for $342 each presented to McMinnville’s police and fire departments.
Local Fred’s manager Mike Smith said the idea is to commemorate Sept. 17 as the day America resumed business and the New York Stock Exchange re-opened.
“A year later, instead of commemorating or glorifying the Sept. 11 attack, the company decided to come back a week later, when the stock market opened on the 17th, to glorify America coming back as a stronger country, united, and to acknowledge our local heroes,” Smith said. “It’s going to be an on-going thing.”
The company donated operating profits of more than $150,000 from Sept. 17 of this year, all of which was to be donated to local fire and police departments in more than 400 communities, Fred’s CEO Mike Hayes said.