WWW arkcity.net

By FOSS FARRAR
Traveler Staff Writer

Wal-Mart comes to its new Supercenter in Arkansas City bearing gifts.

The retail giant will hold a ceremony March 20 -- two days before the Supercenter's grand opening -- to give away $18,000 worth of grants to area school districts, the local arts council, the city's downtown teen center and a nature center west of town.

"We've tried to focus on the kids of the community; they are our future," said Chuck Kerls, the Wal-Mart store manager in Arkansas City.

The 155,000-square-foot Supercenter, just south of the current Wal-Mart store on North Summit, will open for business at 8 a.m. March 22. At 7:30 a.m., Wal-Mart will hold a brief grand-opening ceremony inside the store.

Grants of $3,000 each will be presented at the March 20 ceremony, from 6 to 8 p.m., to: Arkansas City Area Arts Council for the Burford Theatre restoration project; Arkansas City Public Schools; Newkirk (Okla.) Public Schools; Oxford Public Schools; Sally's Palace; and the Chaplin Nature Center.

Charitable support and low prices for customers are two main focuses of Wal-Mart, the company said in a press release.

The $18,000 in donations will be followed up by further charitable donations in the future, Kerls said.

"(Wal-Mart managers) got together as a collective group to decide where the donations go," he said. "We'll do other grants through the year."

The additional grants this year probably will total around $15,000, he said. Last year, the local Wal-Mart contributed $21,000 to the community.

Local Wal-Mart workers will take part in the grand opening on March 22.

"We'll have a brief ceremony and (the local Veterans of Foreign Wars post color guard will) present the colors," Kerls said. "Our associates will sing the National Anthem. The five associates who have worked at the Arkansas City store since it opened in 1985 will be recognized, he added.

All employees at the current store will move over to the Supercenter, he said. Wal-Mart will create about 150 new jobs for the new facility. The total number of workers there will be between 260 and 270.

"We're still hiring for some positions now," Kerls said. "We'll have a constant hiring cycle for some positions -- cashiers and whatever comes up."

The new Supercenter has 101,000 additional square feet compared to the current store at 2715 N. Summit St. It will feature a full line of groceries and a bakery, a delicatessen, a frozen food section, meat and dairy items, and fresh produce, he said.

The store will have 36 general merchandise departments including apparel and accessories, fine jewelry, a lawn and garden center, health and beauty aids and a full line of electronics, according to the press release.

Kerls started as an hourly associate with Wal-Mart 15 years ago at a store in Wichita. Thirty-one of the Arkansas City store's associates have worked for Wal-Mart for more than 20 years, he added.

"I'm a big supporter of this town," Kerls said. "It has so many pluses. There are a whole lot more positives here than people realize."