Community Service Roundup January 2018: Initiatives by 8 Retailers
By Kristina Hurtig on Jan. 23, 2018CHICAGO -- This community-service roundup features charitable efforts from eight convenience-store retailers, in addition to a retail services provider and NATSO.
Click through to read about these initiatives ...
Bosselman Enterprises
Bosselman Enterprises’ Pump & Pantry convenience stores in Nebraska helped Nebraskaland Distributors raise funds for St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital through customer donations in October 2017. The total donation to St. Jude’s was $21,992.68.
Bosselman Enterprises is based in Grand Island, Neb.
Chevron
In December 2017, San Ramon, Calif.-based Chevron announced a contribution of $500,000 from the Chevron Global Community Fund to the American Red Cross in support of relief efforts for the wildfires in the following California counties: Ventura, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles and San Diego.
NOCO
NOCO’s customers and employees recently raised $19,456 to support the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Western & Central New York Chapter. NOCO Express customers were given the opportunity to donate $1 toward the campaign at any of the Tonawanda, N.Y.-based company’s 37 locations in September 2017.
Pilot Flying J
Pilot Flying J is partnering with Food Donation Connection (FDC), an organization that works to help foodservice companies reduce food waste and feed those in need. Through the FDC’s Harvest Program, Pilot Flying J will donate wholesome, quality surplus food items to local nonprofits and food-bank agencies to help families facing hunger. This nationwide initiative between the two Knoxville, Tenn.-based companies will combat hunger in areas where Pilot Flying J is present, and it aims to donate more than 200,000 pounds of food in 2018.
Ricker's
Ricker’s convenience stores in central Indiana and Fort Wayne raised $78,230.87 for Salvation Army programs and services during the Christmas 2017 season. By collecting donations through counter kettles, Anderson, Ind.-based Ricker’s was able to make a significant contribution to Indiana’s division of The Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Campaign.
Stinker Stores
Boise, Idaho-based Stinker Stores donated a record-breaking $81,772 to the Idaho Food Foodbank through its “Stomp Out Hunger” campaign. Held Nov. 3-13, 2017, customers were encouraged to add donations to their final totals at the register. Customers raised $56,772 and Stinker Stores provided a match of $25,000, for a total of $81,772. The total is enough to provide food for 408,860 meals.
Last year, the campaign raised $76,614, which provided food for 383,070 meals.
TravelCenters of America
Westlake, Ohio-based TravelCenters of America, operator of the TA and Petro Stopping Centers brands, participated in the Wreaths Across America annual wreath-laying ceremony Dec. 16, 2017, at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C. Along the route to Arlington, volunteers and veterans were served dinner at the Iron Skillet at the Petro Stopping Centers in Bordentown, N.J.
Wawa
In honor of the Special Olympics’ 50th anniversary, Wawa and The Wawa Foundation will provide the organization with additional layers of support and funding throughout 2018. (The Special Olympics is a featured charity partner of The Wawa Foundation.)
- Through Feb. 18, all Wawa stores are offering opportunities for customers to support Special Olympics through donation boxes near the register and also through the point-of-sale, where customers can add $1, $3 or $5 donations to their purchase.
- Wawa will also continue its support of the Special Olympics’ annual Polar Plunges in January and February, which allow participants to take a quick dip in frigid waters to raise funds for Special Olympics in their respective state. At each event, more than 50 Wawa volunteers will attend to help serve coffee and food, to cheer on athletes and plungers, and to take the plunge themselves.
- Wawa will also host special in-store events celebrating Special Olympics athletes, and The Wawa Foundation will make a grant of $200,000 to support the Special Olympics’ Unified Sports programs in high schools across Wawa’s operating area. Unified Sports is an inclusive sports program that unites Special Olympics athletes (individuals with intellectual disabilities) and partners (individuals without intellectual disabilities) as teammates for training and competition.
During the course of its partnership, Wawa has raised more than $6 million in funding for the Special Olympics.
GSP
GSP, a retail services provider based in Clearwater, Fla., made charitable donations in the names of its many customers this past holiday season to a record 20 charities. GSP made the donations on Giving Tuesday (the Tuesday after Thanksgiving). Some of the charities to benefit include Give Kids the World, United Cerebral Palsy, Peace Over Violence, WaterAid, Global ReLeaf, Children’s Miracle Network, American Red Cross and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
NATSO
The NATSO Foundation, the research, education and public outreach subsidiary of NATSO, awarded $25,000 in scholarships to further the education of five students. Open to truckstop and travel-plaza owners and operators, their employees and their families, the Bill Moon Scholarship program was established in 1993. The 2017 winners each received $5,000. Alexandria, Va.-based NATSO is the trade association of America’s travel plaza and truckstop industry.
Have a community-service announcement of your own to share? Send related news to Kristina Peters at kpeters@winsightmedia.com.