MOORESVILLE — Sam’s Club will open its new store at 646 River Highway following an 8 a.m. grand opening ceremony Thursday. It’s the chain’s first club in Iredell County.
Sam’s has hired 160 people to staff its 136,000-square-foot store, with Patrick Walker as manager, according to a company press release. Walmart and Sam’s Club employ more than 52,000 people in North Carolina.
The opening will include appearances by Carolina Panthers tight end Greg Olsen and NASCAR driver Jeffrey Earnhardt. Mooresville Fire and Rescue will give away free batteries while supplies last to recharge smoke detectors.
Immunizations will be offered from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Thursday and afterwards, while supplies last.
Free health screenings will be offered to assess total cholesterol, HDL (good cholesterol), glucose, blood pressure, body mass index, bone density and vision and hearing screening testing, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Local non-profit organizations receiving special grants as part of the grand opening include Angels and Sparrows Soup Kitchen, Dove House Children’s Advocacy Center, SCAN, Friends of Animals, Hope House Foundation, Lake Norman Chamber of Commerce, Lake Norman Women’s Magazine, Mooresville Christian Mission, Mooresville Rotary Club, Mooresville Soup Kitchen, Rolling Thunder Charities, Rotary Club of Troutman, Top of the Lake Rotary Club of Mooresville, VFW Post 2031 and YMCA of Greater Charlotte.
The store recently provided funds for the Welcome Home Veterans Living Military Museum to replace its roof.
A division of Wal-Mart Stores, Sam’s Club is the nation’s eighth-largest retailer.