Community Service Roundup June 2018: Initiatives by 7 Retailers
By Kristina Hurtig on Jun. 05, 20187-Eleven
In April, Irving, Texas-based 7-Eleven recognizes public services nationwide by delivering 5,000 pizzas and 15,000 doughnuts to emergency rooms, DMVs, post offices and police, sheriff and fire departments.
“Public servants are often the unsung heroes of our communities and we’re delighted to take time … to extend our thanks for all they do,” said Greg Franks, senior vice president of operations for 7-Eleven.
Also in April, 7-Eleven delivered more than 200,000 coloring pages to elementary schools nationwide. To help kick off summer, each coloring sheet included a coupon for a free Slurpee at a neighborhood 7‑Eleven.
Cumberland Farms
Westborough, Mass.-based Cumberland Farms is donating $10,000 to the Westborough High School Athletic Facilities’ Rangers on the Track renovation project. The facilities play a vital role in the recreation and enjoyment of the entire Westborough community, including high school and middle school athletic programs, town youth programs, physical education classes, school events, town events, and general public use, Cumberland Farms said in a release.
Parker’s
On May 16, retailer Parker’s donated $22,000 to Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools as part of the company’s Fueling the Community charitable initiative, which donates a portion of gas sold on the first Wednesday of each month to area schools. Since the program’s inception, the Savannah, Ga.-based chain has donated nearly $1 million to area schools.
QMart
In honor of five new c-store locations it opened in Houston, QMart donated $1,000 to five local school districts: Spring Independent School District, Spring Branch Independent School District, Alief Independent School District, Liberty High School and Dickinson Independent School District. The Houston-based chain has more than 20 c-stores throughout Houston, San Antonio and Austin.
Rutter's
York, Pa.-based Rutter’s raised more than $210,000 for central Pennsylvania charities at its 16th annual golf outing. Of the funds raised, $100,000 will fund the 2018 Rutter’s Vote with Your Dollars and Rutter’s Rewards Schools programs. Since its beginning in 2002, the two-day golf outing has raised more than $1.89 million for children’s charities.
Pictured above: Rutter’s CEO and President Scott Hartman (third from left) catches up with representatives from InComm, Pepsi Beverages Co., and MillerCoors.
Weigel’s
On May 28, Weigel’s began a three-week fundraising event at all of its 66 c-stores for Smoky Mountain Service Dogs, a local nonprofit organization whose mission is to enhance the physical and psychological quality of life for veterans with service-related disabilities through the training and placement of highly-trained service dogs. All funds raised during the second annual “More Wags for Warriors” campaign will go toward building a larger training facility on a 10-acre site in Lenoir City, Tenn. Weigel’s is based in Powell, Tenn.
Yesway
In May, West Des Moines, Iowa-based Yesway launched a partnership with Operation Homefront. As the foundation of the Yesway Gives Back charitable giving program, Yesway will support, honor and help meet the needs of current and former members of the U.S. military and their families.
“It is very important to all of us at Yesway that we make meaningful contributions to the communities we serve,” said Thomas Nicholas Trkla, Yesway’s chairman and CEO. “We are very proud to be an Operation Homefront partner, further underscoring our commitment as a company to support our veterans."
Altria Group
Richmond, Va.-based Altria Group has awarded Hope For The Warriors with a three-year $510,000 grant, which will support Hope For The Warriors’ Master of Social Work (MSW) Internship Program. The goal of the program is to train tomorrow’s military and veteran mental health service providers by ensuring that interns enter the social work profession with a thorough understanding of the unique needs of military families.
Just one year into the grant, Hope For The Warriors has been able to place 12 MSW interns, providing services to 681 military persons.
Dr Pepper Snapple Group
To make recycling more accessible, Plano, Texas-based Dr Pepper Snapple Group and Keep America Beautiful are distributing 936 new recycling bins in public parks across the country this year through their Dr Pepper Snapple Group/Keep America Beautiful Park Recycling Bin Grant Program. Now in its sixth year, the recycling program has provided more than 5,200 recycling bins to local governments and community organizations across 44 states.
McLane Co.
Supply chain services company McLane Co. launched a Registered Driver Apprenticeship Program featuring a veteran initiative, Warriors to Wheels, which is designed to attract and provide military veterans an “earn while you learn” training model that utilizes their military training experience to move into a career in transportation.
McLane’s Driver Apprenticeship Program is open to anyone, not just veterans. However, military veterans who are eligible for GI Bill benefits can receive their GI Bill housing allowance while earning a wage at the same time.
Sparkling Ice
Sparkling Ice and its brand ambassador, NHRA Top Fuel Dragster driver Leah Pritchett, teamed up with Make-A-Wish Georgia and Make-A-Wish Greater Virginia in May to fulfil a child’s wish of meeting Pritchett.
Sparkling Ice, Papa John’s Pizza and Leah Pritchett hosted a pizza party meet and greet with Luci, a young girl from Virginia with hereditary angioedema. The pair met in Commerce, Ga., ahead of the NHRA Southern Nationals race, where Pritchett made Luci an honorary member of her team for the weekend.
Sparkling Ice is part of the Talking Rain, Preston, Wash., family of beverages.
Have a community-service announcement of your own to share? Send related news to Kristina Peters at kpeters@winsightmedia.com.