Social Programs

Sports [SO1]
As part of its community-oriented initiatives, Grupo Pão de Açúcar encourages the practice of sport as a factor adding to the quality of life, health and well-being. The company is a reference in the market and society for its initiatives in this regard, maintaining its investments in sports, in addition to retaining the community’s approval and participation.

Pão de Açúcar Relay Marathon
An annual event in São Paulo (SP) since 1993, the Pão de Açúcar Relay Marathon aims to stimulate the practice of physical activities and integration among the participants. With 30,000 participants in its 16th edition last year, the marathon is already the biggest event in this segment in Latin America. It is worth highlighting the democratic and recreational spirit of the marathon which, thanks to the relay system, enables the participation of eight runners per team, bringing together groups of participants across various categories – from beginners in sports to professional athletes.

The success and replicability of this event led the city of Fortaleza (CE) to organize the event for the first time in 2002. Since then, the event has seen increasing participation and is already a part of the city’s official sporting calendar, with 6,000 participants in its 7th
edition in 2008.


In Brasília, where the event was held for the fi rst time last year, 4,000 people participated. Rio de Janeiro (RJ) will hold its marathon in 2009.

Pão de Açúcar Kids Run
Grupo Pão de Açúcar is aware that the habit of practicing sport should be stimulated at an early age and hence has been organizing the Pão de Açúcar Kids Run for the past fi ve years. Two runs are organized every year and last year alone, they brought together more than 15,000 boys and girls aged between two and 12. The event was elected the best of its kind in Brazil by the Brazilian Athletic Federation.

The infrastructure for the run is similar to that for adults, including kits with t-shirts, chip for controlling the time spent as established for each age group and balanced nourishment.


Last year, the run expanded the age group of the participants by including the Diaper category for children aged two. Children are divided into groups according to the year of birth and run different distances according to the motor development for each age. For example, the distance for younger children, between two and six years, is 50 meters, whereas for older children aged 12, the challenge is greater - 400 meters. All the children receive medals and gifts for participating.

After the race, children are treated to entertainment in an educational space with monitors and games that stimulate conscious consumption through recycling.

Extra Cycle Tour
In line with the positioning of its hypermarket brand, Grupo Pão de Açúcar has for the past fi ve years been organizing the Extra Cycle Tour in Fortaleza (CE), Brasília (DF), Niterói (RJ) and Santos (SP). The objective is to stimulate sports by inviting families to form groups and participate together. It is common in all stages of the event to see parents and children treating their participation in the event as a moment of leisure for the family. The tour passes through important roads in the cities and mobilizes a sizeable portion of the population. More than 20,000 people, including adults and children, participated in the Extra Cycle Tour in 2008.

Investment in Sporting Talent Pão de Açúcar Esporte Clube & Sendas Esporte Clube
Founded in December 2004 based on a project conceived by Abilio Diniz, the Chairman of the Board of Grupo Pão de Açúcar, the Pão de Açúcar Sports Club (PAEC) is a soccer club located in São Paulo (SP) that focuses on developing youth aged 13 and above, who dream of a soccer career. In 2005, the project was extended to Rio de Janeiro (RJ) and the Sendas Sports Club was established.

To provide full-time service to the participants, each club has a Training Center (CT) equipped with facilities for their technical and cultural development.

The CT Pão de Açúcar in São Paulo covers an area of more than 50,000 m² and houses a soccer fi eld, stands, futsal court, accommodation facilities, medical, physiological, physiotherapy centers, academic and entertainment halls, heated swimming pool, auditorium and locker room. The CT Sendas Sports Club, covering an area of more than 45,000 m², has a complete professional infrastructure for sports, which includes four soccer fi elds, swimming pools, two multisports facilities, an athletic track, two squash courts, complete infrastructure for physical preparation, and medical, physiological and physiotherapy centers. The CTs also have dining halls and menus prepared by nutritionists.



At present, the program serves 270 boys, with 150 in São Paulo and 120 in Rio de Janeiro. Twelve players already play in leading soccer clubs like Grêmio, Santos, Cruzeiro, São Paulo and Corinthians, and two play in the Dutch club Helmond Sport.

Benefi ts for team members include medical and dental assistance, life insurance, English classes, allowance, in the case of amateur players, and transport vouchers for those not residing in the CTs. To be admitted to the programs, candidates should have been enrolled in an educational institution. Boys living in the CTs are enrolled in nearby public schools and use the vans provided by the CTs for their commute to and from the schools.

The support team consists of soccer coaches, assistants, trainers for goalkeepers, physical trainers and physiotherapists. The objective is for youth to remain in the CT for at least one year and take part in offi cial tourneys through arrangements with professional soccer clubs.

The PAEC currently plays in the second division of the São Paulo state soccer league and, though a newcomer, already has a successful track record: it won the state soccer league’s second division in 2008, and its junior teams (sub-17 and sub-15) were the vice champions in 2007. The Sendas team plays in the second division of the Rio de Janeiro state
soccer league.

Investment in Professional Athletes
Since 2000, Grupo Pão de Açúcar has been providing support to professional Brazilian athletes through investments focused on track and field events and triathlon for men and women. The company’s strategy is based on its belief in the power of mobilization and the healthy life that the athletes represent. In 2008, the Group sponsored several athletes at the Beijing Olympics and had the pleasure of seeing Maurren Maggi, a Pão de Açúcar athlete since 2006, bag the gold in long jump. Another medalist sponsored by Grupo Pão de Açúcar since 2001, Marilson Gomes dos Santos, won the New York Marathon for the second time
in 2008.

Alimenta Bem
The central point of the Alimenta Bem (Eat Well) program is to disseminate information on healthy diet to customers. The program was launched in 2006, initially in partnership with the São Paulo Municipal Supply Department. In 2008, the project was restructured and became the Group’s exclusive initiative. The project features mobile kitchens, which offer courses at CompreBem’s parking lots. In 2008, 22 stores in the state of São Paulo participated in the program, covering more than 20,000 people.

Partnership against Wastage
Grupo Pão de Açúcar makes donations and enters into partnerships, which benefit 600 charity institutions. The program began in 1995 through a pilot project in a few stores in São Paulo city, with the donation of surplus fruits and vegetables. The program has since grown and, in partnership with suppliers, now distributes cleaning supplies, groceries and general merchandise. A team is responsible for separating the products that, although are not ideal for store display, are still fit for consumption.

Institutions wishing to benefit from the program should register at the nearest store and present documentary proof of regular operations. After registration, a timetable is fixed for taking delivery of the products, which could be daily. The store is responsible for visiting the institutions and learning more about their operations.

Social Product
Grupo Pão de Açúcar also promotes social actions involving its customers. In 2008, 330 stores participated in a fundraising campaign for charity institutions that included the Association for the Care of Disabled Children (AACD), which received a part of the sale proceeds of the panettones produced at the Extra, CompreBem, Sendas and Pão de Açúcar bakeries. The objective of this program is to give the Group’s customers an opportunity to support a charitable cause through a purchase.