RESEARCH TRIANGLE, N.C. -- GPM Investments LLC, which operates both the Fas Mart and Shore Stop convenience store chains in the East, recently teamed up again with Support U.S. Armed Forces to raise more than $90,500 for families of currently deployed military personnel from Fort Lee, Norfolk Naval Station and Dover Air Force Base.
"This is yet another wonderful opportunity to partner with one of the nation's premier regional convenience store operators to support our U.S military families," said Neal Clark, founder of Support U.S. Armed Forces. "As with all our partners, Fas Mart and its parent company GPM Investments LLC care deeply about those whose job it is to keep our nation free and secure. Moreover, with so many within the ranks of Fas Mart either being veterans or having family and/or friends who are, this has been a natural fit, right from the outset."
Arie Kotler, CEO of GPM Investments, is also very pleased with the results of the partnership.
"We are delighted to have had the opportunity to continue our partnership with Support U.S. Armed Forces in their mission to aid families of our locally-based men and women in uniform," he said. "The commitment that these soldiers and their families have made to our country is truly commendable. It is our duty to support them however we can--and we do so gladly. Our customers really stepped up to embrace this important cause and we thank them for their support."
Fas Mart and Shore Stop are members of the GPM family of convenience stores. GPM Investments is based in Richmond, Va., and operates 213 convenience stores and supplies more than 115 independent dealers in Virginia, Maryland, Rhode Island, Delaware, Connecticut, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Tennessee.
Meanwhile, convenience retailer QuikStop Markets Inc., the Fremont, Calif.-based convenience store division of The Kroger Co., Cincinnati, also recently teamed up with Support U.S. Armed Forces to raise support for families of Travis Air Force Base Airmen currently deployed around the globe.
Travis AFB is located in the Bay Area of Northern California. The host unit at Travis AFB is the 60th Air Mobility Wing. The 60th AMW is the largest wing in the Air Force's Air Mobility Command, with a fleet of C-5 Galaxies, KC-10 Extenders, and C-17 Globemaster III aircraft.
"This was an exciting opportunity to partner with Northern California's premier convenience store chain in order to support our U.S military families," said Neal Clark, founder and president of Support U.S. Armed Forces. "As with all our partners, Quik Stop cares greatly about those whose job it is to keep our nation free and secure. This fundraising effort was targeted directly at supporting those military families within the Travis AFB community. All proceeds that were generated through this fundraiser [$21,000] will assist in providing welcome home and family support packages to their local military families."
Ron Stewart, president of QuikStop Markets Inc., said, "We are proud to partner with Support U.S. Armed Forces and fully share in their vision and commitment to aid the families of our Airmen and women in the greater Travis AFB Community. At this point in time, when our ongoing military efforts seemingly take a 'back seat' to the economic and political news of the day, we here at Quik Stop have never forgotten that it's our friends, neighbors and family members in uniform that allow us all to live under a precious blanket of Freedom. It's with this in mind that we happily participated in this fundraiser with our partners at Support U.S. Armed Forces."
Founded in 2009, Research Triangle, N.C.-based Support U.S. Armed Forces is a nonprofit charitable organization whose mission is to support the troops by providing morale, welfare and encouragement to men and women in uniform.
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