LAKEWOOD, Colo., Aug. 3, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Natural Grocers, the nation's largest family-operated natural and organic grocery retailer, is celebrating its 65^th Anniversary over three full days, August 13-15, 2020. For the Isely family, this means sixty-five years of empowering their communities to take charge of their health, sixty-five years of providing free, life-changing Nutrition Education, and sixty-five years of offering nutritionally sound, sustainably produced foods at Always Affordable^SM prices.

This year's anniversary celebration coincides with what would be Natural Grocers' Co-Founder Margaret Isely's 99^th birthday. In honor of Margaret's love of birthdays and her favorite dessert—chocolate ice cream topped with chocolate syrup—expect to see birthday and ice cream themes throughout the three-day celebration.

Our good4u^SM Crew and loyal customers are at the heart of Natural Grocers—that's why everyone is invited to join in the celebration as we commemorate sixty-five years in business. All 159 Natural Grocers stores, in 20 states, will celebrate with sweepstakes and contests featuring over 1,700 prizes, including a 2020 Subaru Crosstrek, plus the biggest discounts of the year, free frozen desserts, free Natural Grocers Brand Organic Chocolate Bars ({N}power members only) and limited-edition reusable bags, "Cooking with Health Crusader^SM" virtual demonstration, a photo contest, and more.

IT ALL BEGAN WITH $200 – AND A DREAM

When Margaret and Phillip Isely co-founded Natural Grocers in 1955, all they had was $200 and a dream of making a healthy and active lifestyle possible for everyone. As trailblazers, health crusaders, and industry leaders, the Iselys demonstrated the virtues of nutrition as an essential building block for excellent health. Over the last 65 years, the family has been steadfast in its mission to make fresh, high-quality natural and organic groceries, supplements, household essentials, and only 100% organic produce, along with free Nutrition Education, available to the communities they serve. 

"As the second and third generation of Iselys to operate Natural Grocers, we are honored to preserve the legacy our parents created as leaders in the organic and natural food industry," commented Kemper Isely, Natural Grocers' Co-President. "Since the beginning, we've been rooted in health℠ and have looked toward our Founding Principles when making business decisions that impact our Crew and our customers. In turn, we have been embraced by our communities and for that, we are thankful.  We are excited to celebrate sixty-five years of healthy living with our valued customers."

To learn more about Natural Grocers, check out 65 Things You Didn't Know About Natural Grocers.

GIVEAWAYS GALORE – MORE THAN 1,700 PRIZES!¹

It wouldn't be a Natural Grocers Anniversary if the celebration wasn't loaded up on giveaways and sweepstakes—so to mark our 65^th Anniversary, we are giving away more than 1,700 prizes. Fill out the Anniversary Sweepstakes form in the August good4u Health Hotline magazine (available in-store and via delivery) and drop it off at any Natural Grocers location between August 13 and August 15 to enter for a chance to win. A drawing among all entries will determine the winners of the following prizes:

Grand Prize: One winner, company-wide will be selected to win a 2020 Subaru Crosstrek, or $30,000 cash, courtesy of C20 Pure Coconut Water.
Company-wide Prizes: One winner, company-wide, will be selected to win prizes such as a $500 Natural Grocers gift card, a Yeti Cooler, a Vitamix Explorian E310 Blender, a Stand Up Paddle Board and more.
One Prize Each Per Store: One winner per store will be selected to win prizes such as a $65 Natural Grocers gift card, a Fitbit Inspire, a Natural Grocers Wood Cutting Board, a Kids Animal Rolling Backpack, a bag of Natural Grocers Brand Products, and more.

For details and a full list of prizes, visit: www.naturalgrocers.com/anniversary

COUNT THE SUNDAES
Count the sundaes sprinkled throughout the pages of the August good4u Health Hotline magazine, fill out the form and drop it off at any Natural Grocers store by August 29, 2020 for a chance to win. A drawing among all entries with the correct number will determine the winner, who will receive a $500 Natural Grocers gift card.

SUNDAE FUNDAE PHOTO CONTEST
Have your ice cream and eat it too with a Sundae Fundae Ice Cream Photo Contest. Between August 1 and August 15, submit a photo of your ice cream sundae creation for a chance to win in one of three categories: Best Looking, Sloppiest, and Wildest. 1^st place winners will receive six months of free ice cream, (a value of $200), 2^nd place winners will receive three months of free ice cream (a value of $100), and 3^rd place winners will receive one month of free ice cream (a value of $50.) For more details and a chance to win, share your sundae photo at: www.naturalgrocers.com/win-icecream

FOOD BANK FUNDRAISER²
To honor our Founding Principle of "Commitment to Community," Natural Grocers will be donating 1% of all sales on August 13 to community food banks.  Additionally, customers will have the opportunity to donate $1, $5, or $10 at the register during the month of August. The hope is that, as a community, we can help those who are experiencing food insecurity by providing access to high-quality, healthy foods at affordable prices through donations of Natural Grocers gift cards.

WAIT, THERE'S MORE³

• Natural Grocers Biggest Sale of the Year: Three days of epic savings of up to 50% off over 60 popular items throughout the store.
• Free Frozen Dessert: On August 13 only, all customers will receive one free frozen treat, while supplies last. Frozen desserts include dairy and dairy-free selections from Alden's Organic, GoodPop, and So Delicious.
• Free Bag: From August 13-15, all customers will receive one free limited-edition Anniversary reusable bag, with purchase while supplies last.
• {N}power: When shopping during the three-day celebration, members of {N}power, Natural Grocers' free loyalty program, will receive a free Natural Grocers Organic Chocolate Bar and double {N}power points.
• Cooking with Health Crusader: You've seen her flying through Natural Grocers commercials, now you can join Health Crusader as she saves the world one bite at a time. On August 13, at 6:00 p.m. MT, tune in to Natural Grocers' YouTube channel and get "Cooking with Health Crusader" as she demonstrates tasty Grilled Fish Tacos with Peach Salsa recipe.

WE ARE PRIORITIZING YOUR SAFETY:

• We are hosting a three-day event instead of the traditional one-day celebration to ensure that we can maximize social distancing.
• We will have employees stationed at the doors of every store to ensure strict adherence to maximum occupancy limits.
• We will mark off six feet apart for people to stand and wait outside until it is safe for them enter our stores.
• We will require our customers to wear a face covering in our stores, unless doing so would impair their health.
• We are following all mask mandates and orders based on city, state and county. Please check to make sure you know local guidelines for your area and store.
• We will provide free face coverings to customers who do not have their own. 
• There will be a special anniversary shopping hour exclusively for seniors (ages 60 and older), pregnant women, and individuals with underlying health risks on Friday, August 14 from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 am.
• Customers and Crew can expect a clean and safe-as-possible shopping and working environment due to the COVID-19-related policies and guidelines in place at all Natural Grocers stores.

About Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage
Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NYSE: NGVC; NaturalGrocers.com) is an expanding specialty retailer of organic and natural groceries, body care products, and dietary supplements. The company offers a flexible, neighborhood-store format, affordable prices, and free, science-based Nutrition Education programs to help customers make informed health and nutrition choices. Founded in Colorado in 1955, Natural Grocers has more than 3,500 employees and operates 159 stores in 20 states.  Follow Natural Grocers on social media via Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. #NaturalGrocers

¹ For all sweepstakes and contests: no purchase necessary.  A purchase will not increase your chances of winning. Open only to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia who are at least 18 years old at the time of entry. Maximum one entry per customer per sweepstakes or contest unless otherwise noted in the rules for such contest.  Void where prohibited by law. For official rules and complete details, visit: www.naturalgrocers.com/sweepstakes, or the specific links provided in the body of this release. Sponsor:  Vitamin Cottage Natural Food Markets, Inc.
² All donations will be donated to food banks in the form of Natural Grocers gift cards. Sales of gift cards excluded from Natural Grocers' 1% donation.
³ All offers, free items and giveaways are available at participating stores while supplies last; no rain checks. See store for details.

SOURCE Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc.