{{Short description|Food cooperative based in Itasca, Illinois}} '''Market Day Local, Inc.''' (commonly known as '''Market Day'''), is a food cooperative based in Itasca, Illinois, that operates in 27 states across the United States. It is known for its school fundraising program.<ref name="Garmes">{{cite news|title=Market Day bringing back memories|first=Kyle|last=Garmes|work=The Beverly Review|location=Chicago|date=September 5, 2023|accessdate=June 7, 2025|url=https://www.beverlyreview.net/news/community_news/article_3a7f9df0-4c03-11ee-8058-936104e1d747.html}}</ref>
== History == In 1973, Trudi Temple began purchasing flowers wholesale at the Randolph Street Market and reselling them to raise funds for local churches and impoverished communities abroad. She then formed a food cooperative to sell fresh produce. In 1975, Temple began holding the fundraisers at her daughter's school, Walker Elementary School in Clarendon Hills, Illinois.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Market Day Story|work=Market Day|publisher=Market Day Corporation|location=Itasca, Illinois|url=http://www.marketday.com/about/marketdaystory.aspx|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120607065754/http://www.marketday.com/about/marketdaystory.aspx|archivedate=June 7, 2012}}</ref><ref name="Garmes" /> Parents filled out preorder forms and picked up their orders at the school, with a portion of the proceeds going to the school. Later, Temple added meats, seafood, and poultry to the monthly sales, and expanded to other churches, schools, and nonprofit organizations.<ref name="Garmes" />
By 2000, Market Day Corporation had raised more than ${{format price|250000000}} for more than 6,000 schools in 20 metropolitan areas in nine states. The company operated out of corporate headquarters in Itasca, a primary distribution center in Wood Dale, Illinois, and six other warehouses in Atlanta; Burlington, New Jersey; Columbus, Ohio; Dallas; Indianapolis; and Milwaukee. An in-house carrier, Apple Trucking, was part of a nationwide fleet of 175 trucks, many of which were driven by off-duty firefighters. By this time, Market Day had discontinued fresh produce sales; 80% of the inventory was frozen goods. Participating schools received 10–40% of proceeds, depending on the item, and usually relied on parent–teacher association volunteers to operate on-site sales. On September 14, 2000, the first Market Day retail store opened at the company's primary distribution center in Wood Dale, Illinois, with plans for more locations.<ref>{{cite news|title=Schools Profit from Market Day|first=Gary|last=Macklin|work=FleetOwner|publisher=Endeavor Business Media|location=Nashville, Tennessee|date=November 1, 2000|accessdate=June 7, 2025|url=https://www.fleetowner.com/refrigerated-transporter/article/21224251/schools-profit-from-market-day}}</ref>
In 2013, foodservice distributor Gordon Food Service purchased Market Day Corporation.<ref>{{cite news|title=Gordon Food Service Buys Fundraising Company|work=Progressive Grocer|publisher=EnsembleIQ|location=Chicago|date=February 19, 2013|accessdate=June 7, 2025|url=https://progressivegrocer.com/gordon-food-service-buys-fundraising-company}}</ref> Market Day items appeared in a dedicated freezer case at GFS Marketplace cash and carry stores. At checkout, customers could designate any participating organization to receive a five-percent give-back from Market Day items or one percent from other store items.<ref>{{cite news|title=Merger of GFS, Market Day expands fundraising potential|first=Lu Ann|last=Franklin|work=The Times of Northwest Indiana|location=Munster, Indiana|date=October 14, 2014|accessdate=June 7, 2025|url=https://www.nwitimes.com/business/local/merger-of-gfs-market-day-expands-fundraising-potential/article_eb6b2edf-617a-57b0-b562-2e405d6eb599.html}}</ref> GFS shut down the Market Day program in 2015.<ref name="Garmes" />
In 2019, Theresa Krueger purchased the Market Day brand from GFS to form Market Day Local and began direct home deliveries and pop-up sales. Krueger's Chicago-based Krueger Sausage had been one of Market Day's original vendors.<ref name="Garmes" /><ref>{{cite letter|title=Welcome to Market Day|first=Theresa|last=Krueger|recipient=Holy Family Catholic Parish|location=Parma, Ohio|date=September 26, 2019|accessdate=June 7, 2025|url=https://holyfamparma.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Welcome-to-Market-Day-Letter-082419.pdf}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist|30em}}
== External links == * {{Official website|https://www.marketdaylocal.com/}}
Category:Food cooperatives in the United States Category:Privately held companies based in Illinois Category:Itasca, Illinois Category:Companies based in DuPage County, Illinois Category:1975 establishments in Illinois Category:2015 disestablishments in Illinois Category:2019 establishments in Illinois