DALLAS -- Following its high-profile promotional campaign tied in with the release of The Simpsons Movie, 7-Eleven is donating all of the sets it used to transform 11 U.S. locations into Kwik-E-Mart stores to Children's Miracle Network (CMN)-affiliated hospitals for them to raise funds and entertain patients.
The stores have reverted back to their usual 7-Eleven identities. The sets included the Simpsons character standups, Kwik-E-Mart signs and yellow walls.
All recipient hospitals are located in the same major metropolitan areas [image-nocss] as the Kwik-E-Mart stores. The Chief Wiggum character has been requested by some police departments, who plan to use his likeness at community events.
Two Children's Miracle Network HospitalsChildren's Hospital of Los Angeles and Children's Hospital of Denverhave radiothons planned in which items will be auctioned off to listeners. Others plan to display the characters in hospital play areas.
We have left it up to the hospitals to use the Kwik-E-Mart memorabilia where they believe they will do the most good or bring the most joy, said Nancy Lear, 7-Eleven community relations director. Our employees and customers have had a lot of fun this month, and we hope that, by passing the Kwik-E-Mart sets along to [CMN] hospitals, we can help raise much-needed funds for these hospitals while continuing to bring laughter to people.
Metropolitan-area hospitals benefiting from the 7-Eleven donation of Kwik-E-Mart items are:
Chicago: Children's Memorial Hospital Dallas: Children's Medical Center Denver: The Children's Hospital (Chief Wiggum to Denver Police Department) Las Vegas: St. Rose Dominican Hospitals, Pediatric Care Unit Los Angeles (two Kwik-E-Mart locations): Childrens Hospital Los Angeles (Chief Wiggum to Burbank Police Department) Manhattan: Children's Miracle Network-Metro New York (representing Children's Specialized Hospital in Mountainside, N.J.; Schneider Children's Hospital/North Shore Long Island Jewish Health System in New Hyde Park; Bristol-Myers Squibb Children's Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, N.J.; Children's Hospital at Montefiore in New York City; Maria Fareri Children's Hospital at Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla. Orlando: Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children San Francisco: Children's Hospital and Research Center Oakland Seattle: Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center Washington, D.C.: Children's National Medical CenterChildren's Miracle Network is a nonprofit organization dedicated to saving and improving the lives of children by raising funds for children's hospitals across North America.
Meanwhile, 7-Eleven said it sold its one millionth Sprinklicious donut last Wednesday. The pink, sprinkled donuts were available at all participating U.S. and Canada 7-Eleven outlets, along with Krusty O's Cereal, Buzz cola, Radioactive Man comic books and Squishee frozen beverages.
Not surprisingly, the converted Kwik-E-Mart stores had the most dramatic sales increases, said Dennis Phelps, vice president of fresh foods at 7-Eleven. Donut sales at the Burbank Kwik-E-Mart, the store closest to the Fox Studios, were 1,000 times what they are in a typical day. The highest single-day sales of the Sprinklicious donut for any one store was for more than 4,200, but all U.S. stores are seeing dramatic double-digit bakery sales increases.
Individuals purchased Sprinklicious donuts by the dozen. All Simpsons-related products available have enjoyed healthy sales, the company said.
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