A new 120,000-square-foot Walmart store in Polson will open Wednesday after a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony at 7:30 a.m. 

The new store at 36318 Memory Lane will be open from 6 a.m. to midnight seven days a week. The store is relocating from its previous location at 170 Heritage Lane. 

The store employs about 180 full- and part-time workers, with approximately 50 of those jobs created by the relocation. Store manager Dan Dewitt began his Walmart career in 2000 as an assistant manager in Missoula.

There will be A Big Family Welcome event on Saturday from noon to 3 p.m. to give customers a chance to meet Dewitt and enjoy family activities such as face painting and cupcake decorating, along with free food samples.

The store features general merchandise, including apparel, electronics, toys, sporting goods, and lawn and garden items. It also offers a full line of groceries, including organic and natural selections. The store also offers pharmacy services.

The grand-opening celebration includes presentations of grants from Walmart and the Walmart Foundation to local community groups.

“For the last five years, Walmart has contributed and supported Women 4 Wellness in their efforts to provide health screens and preventative health screens to over 5,000 women and over 11,000 screenings in the Mission Valley,” said Eleanor Vizcarra, co-coordinator of Women 4 Wellness.  

In addition to the grants given as part of the grand opening, the new store will further Walmart’s pledge to fight hunger in America. As part of Walmart’s and the Walmart Foundation’s $2 billion commitment to fight hunger through 2015, Walmart stores in Montana donated approximately 1.7 million pounds of food in fiscal year 2013, or the equivalent of 1.4 million meals. 

Additionally, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation gave more than $3.8 million in fiscal year 2013 in Montana alone.  

Walmart invites Polson shoppers to share their in-store experience on Facebook and Twitter by using #MyNewWalmart. Visit the My Local Walmart Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/walmart2607.