BOULDER – Safeway and CU Athletics have agreed to a three-year partnership extension, starting with the 2013 football season. As part of the partnership agreement, Safeway is the exclusive grocery partner of the Colorado Buffaloes, as secured by the University’s athletic multimedia rights partner, Learfield Sports’ Buffalo Sports Properties.

“We are excited to extend our partnership with the University of Colorado,” said Safeway Denver Division President, Al Duran. “CU Athletics has been a great way for Safeway to expand our involvement with the community, including raising awareness for breast cancer and supporting veterans.”

Last year, Safeway and CU Athletics hosted over 125 breast cancer survivors and their guests at a CU football game. The collaboration on a “Pink Game” included pink Colorado survivor t-shirts provided by Safeway, players and coaching wearing pink Nike accent pieces during the game, and a $10,000 donation to Boulder Community Hospital from Safeway to support breast cancer screenings and prevention services.

Also last year, Safeway invited veterans from the Wounded Warriors Project to a football game and honored these veterans, along with Safeway store employees who are also veterans, on the field in front of the crowd at Folsom Field.

“The support from Safeway over the past four years has been tremendous,” said Rick George, CU Director of Athletics. “I am excited to see with my own eyes all of the partnership elements that have been so successful in the past, and build upon these elements to make them bigger and better in the future. Safeway is an integral part of the CU Athletics family.”

This year’s Pink Game is scheduled for the Arizona football game on October 26, and the Veterans game is slated for November 16 against Cal.