Chief exec of Safeway receives SPIRIT Award from Department of Labor

PLEASANTON, Calif. The Department of Labor Wednesday presented Steve Burd, the chairman, president and chief executive officer of Safeway, with the 2008 SPIRIT Award, reports have said. Burd was named for the award because of his mission to create opportunities for people with disabilities.

Former Major League Baseball player Jim Abbott was there to present the award. Abbott has had a successful baseball career, overcoming a condition at birth that left him with just one hand.

SPIRIT is the acronym for “strength in leadership, perseverance in unyielding commitment to achieving success, integrity, serving as a role model, independence and acting as a trailblazer.” The award was presented to Burd at a ceremony in Washington, D.C.

“I am deeply honored and proud to be among the Department’s SPIRIT award winners and particularly pleased to be sharing the recognition with Jim Abbott,” Burd said. “Assisting people with disabilities has long been an important part of what Safeway stands for in the community. We have worked hard to ensure that our company is a place where people with disabilities can find rewarding opportunities.”