Giant Food Collects Toys for Tots

Toys will be collected at neighborhood Giant locations.

The grocer Giant Food has partnered with the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation to collect toys for underprivileged children at area Giant stores. Giant, based in Landover, Md., also donated $25,000 this week to support children in need across the mid-Atlantic region. Toys will be collected at 170 Giant stores throughout the holiday season, including the Giant in McLean, located at 1454 Chain Bridge Road. This year marks the second year of a partnership between the two organizations. The Marine Toys for Tots Foundation is a not-for-profit organization authorized by the U.S. Marine Corps and the Department of Defense to provide fundraising and other necessary support for the annual U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program. Now in its …

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McLean Giant Sold Out of Bottled Water, Flashlights

Giant is expecting a trailer to arrive overnight to replenish stock.

A McLean Giant employee told Patch on Saturday afternoon that the store is completely sold out of bottled water, flashlights and non-refridgerated milk items, such as Hershey's boxed milk and Parmalat, as customers prepare for power outages associated with Hurricane Sandy. The store experienced long lines of customers as early as 5 a.m. The location at 1454 Chain Bridge Road is expecting a trailer overnight Saturday to replenish the store's stock. The trailer should arrive by 11 p.m. Saturday, the employee said. The store will remain open to customers overnight. According to it's regular schedule, the location closes at 11 p.m. Sunday and reopens at 6 a.m. Monday. The McLean Safeway, at 1330 Chain Bridge Road, was not sold out of supplies …

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Giant Stores to Host Food Drive

The local community is invited to donate nonperishable food items this weekend, which will be donated to a number of food banks across the region.

Giant Food will host a community food drive starting this Friday, Sept. 28 through Sunday, Sept. 30, which includes the store located in McLean: Last year, Giant donated more than 21.4 million meals for neighbors in need across Maryland, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and Delaware, according to spokesperson Jamie Miller. Currently, food banks across the region are in need of nonperishable food items including canned fruits and vegetables, pasta, pasta sauce, rice, 100 percent fruit juice, canned meats, cereal, peanut butter, and more as well as personal care items. Customers can either drop off items that they already have or pick up a few items while shopping in the store. For more information, visit Giant Food online.

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Giant Food Teams Up With Coinstar

The local retailer will now offer gift cards to those who use their Coinstar kiosks.

Giant Food customers who use the store's Coinstar kiosks now have the option of placing the full value of their coins, without fees, onto a Giant Food gift card. Customers alos have the option to select a gift card from a variety of national retailers and e-retailers. The gift cards are immediately activated and can be used the same day. “Coinstar kiosks are a popular destination in our neighborhood stores, and we’re very excited about the new option for customers to convert change into fee-free gift cards,” said Anthony Hucker, president, Giant Food of Landover, Md., in a press release. Mike Skinner, president of Coinstar's Coin business, said that Giant is among the first grocery retailers to offer the new fee-free option and will …

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McLean Giant Now Fills Pet Prescriptions

Pet prescriptions count toward Giant gas rewards points.

Stop by the prescription counter at the McLean Giant and you can now pick up not only your personal prescriptions but also those for your pet. Giant has entered into a partnership with the pet pharmacy PetCareRx to help meet the prescription needs of the pet owners who visit the grocer, according to a press release issued recently by Landover-based Giant.  The company said 60 percent of its patrons own at least one cat or dog. “Giant is excited to offer even more convenience for our shoppers who are also pet owners,” said Joel Neaman, regional manager of Giant pharmacy. “We’re looking forward to a successful partnership with PetCareRx to support our customers who are also pet owners.” Forty percent of veterinarian prescriptions can already…

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Readers' Choice Winner Announced: Favorite McLean Grocery Store

And the winner is...

Patch asked and our readers answered. Your favorite place to grocery shop in McLean is Giant, located in the heart of town at 1454 Chain Bridge Rd. The Anderson Road Safeway, Balducci's, the Chesterbrooke Safeway, the Harris Teeter, Tysons Corner and the McLean Safeway each received a few votes in our poll, but the Giant won with an overwhelming majority of support. Stay tuned to McLean Patch on Monday. We'll be asking our readers a new question in next week's Readers' Choice Poll: What is your favorite historic site in McLean?

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Christmas Shopping to Raise Money for Your School

Make your Christmas purchases earn money for schools

Busy making Christmas shopping lists today? Here's how you can make your money go further by supporting your schools at the register. National retailers like Giant, Safeway, Target, Office Depot and Bloom give cash or credit to schools based on your purchases. At most stores, all you need to do is register your store member card to a school of your choice and start shopping. Just how much can your school get? Target donates 1 percent of your REDcard purchases to your school. Office Depot, which doesn't require a member card, credits 5 percent of your purchases for free school supplies. Each Safeway program school can earn up to $25,000 a year. Remember to register your member cards every year to make sure your shopping trip is beneficial …

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McLean Morning Report

Latest McLean News - Tuesday August 30

Morning Briefing

Hi Neighbors, -McLean Supermarkets Charged. Sold alcohol to minors. -McLean Crime. A car theft in Tysons Corner. -Power Outages con'd. Dominion Power has announced all customers in Northern Virginia will be restored today. Here's hoping.

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McLean Prepares for Hurricane Irene

Run on water, gas

The D.C. Metro area will experience tropical storm force winds as Hurricane Irene crosses through Virginia on Saturday, said Gov. Bob McDonnell in a press conference Friday. As of 2 p.m., the National Weather Service is reporting Hurricane Irene is a Category 2 storm, moving north at 14 mph with maximum sustained winds at 100 mph. The storm is expected to hit the Virginia-North Carolina border Saturday night. Meanwhile McLean was preparing by shopping. Kelly Green Kahn, of McLean,  was back at the Chain Bridge Giant Friday afternoon buying more water. She shopped yesterday but decided she needed more for her family. Shelves were bereft of water in the usual location in the Giant but other customers reported seeing a special water display …

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