SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- A year after greatly expanding its convenience store presence Springfield, Mo., Kum & Go is reaching out to help the community in several ways that will benefit area residents, according to a report in the Springfield News-Leader.
Kum & Go CEO Kyle Krause was in Springfield Thursday to visit a number of stores on the one-year anniversary of the company's purchase of 37 Cody's stores in the area. While in town, he also announced a new fundraising effort that would benefit Springfield schoolchildren.
"We wanted to do something to [image-nocss] thank Springfield, so on April 8, we are going to donate 3 cents per gallon of gas to the Foundation for Springfield Public Schools," Krause said.
That applies to all 41 Kum & Go stores in Springfield. Krause said based on normal sales, that would amount to about $8,000.
"Of course, if people want to do more, we'd be happy to extend that amount," Krause added.
Nancy Fazzino, executive director of the foundation, said they look forward to that day. "We're thrilled," she told the newspaper.
The foundation works to raise funds for many aspects of Springfield Public Schools, such as scholarships, winter coats, educational opportunities for teachers and more. She said the economic downturn makes Kum & Go's gesture even more important.
"All not-for-profits have felt (the recession) and anything like this really helps," she said.
The company also recently raised funds for Haiti earthquake victims. According to Krause, the stores simply asked customers to make any donation they wanted. The result was they raised $60,000 from donations, and then the company kicked in another $20,000.
Another fundraiser that is coming to a close is for the Junior Diabetes Research Foundation, the newspaper reported. For that, customers have the opportunity to pay $1 for a paper sneaker that can be hung in the store. The fundraiser concludes at the end of this month, and so far, the company has raised about $72,500.
A Springfield store has outdone everyone else, Krause said.
Regina Guthrie is the store manager for the Kum & Go at National Avenue and Walnut Lawn Lane. That store had raised $4,135 as of Thursday, top among the company's 432 stores.
Guthrie said persistence is the key. "This happens because everybody is behind it," she said.
She said the store associates make sure to ask every single customer if they would like to donate.
"We have customers that come in five or six times a day, and they know they'll be asked every time," store manager Regina Guthrie said.
Krause said he knows it can be difficult on customers to be asked to donate so often, especially when a fundraiser is unplanned, like the one for Haiti. Krause said it is the company's policy to donate 10% of its annual profits to charitable and educational causes each year.
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