Community Service Roundup March 2018: Initiatives by 8 Retailers
By Kristina Hurtig on Mar. 21, 2018CHICAGO -- This community-service roundup features charitable efforts from eight convenience-store retailers.
Click through to read about these initiatives ...
7-Eleven
On March 10 in Milwaukee, 7-Eleven volunteers and Keep Greater Milwaukee Beautiful helped restore the Silver Spring Neighborhood Center’s greenhouse as part of the c-store chain’s new reduced-emissions program, Renew, created to provide more sustainable options to the city.
The Renew program is powered by GreenPrint and allows drivers to help reduce their carbon footprint. For every gallon and grade of gas pumped at participating 7-Eleven locations, Renew plants trees and invests in certified carbon-emissions-reduction projects to neutralize emissions by up to 30%. The program is available at 93 participating 7-Eleven stations in Oregon, Washington and Wisconsin.
Also, as part of the one-year Renew pilot, 100,000 trees will be planted across the United States in cooperation with the Arbor Day Foundation. 7-Eleven is based in Irving, Texas.
Aloha Petroleum
Honolulu-based Aloha Petroleum has pledged $25,000 to Diamond Head Theatre, also known as the Broadway of the Pacific, in support of its capital campaign to redevelop the theater. The $20 million project will involve building a new performance space and renovating a two-story addition behind the existing theater, with construction to begin in 2019.
“Aloha has been a proud supporter of Diamond Head Theater over the last 25 years,” said Larry Adams, director of sales and marketing. “[Diamond Head Theatre] provides a significant contribution to arts and education in the Hawaii community.”
CITGO
March is national reading month, and Houston-based CITGO Petroleum Corp. celebrated by partnering with Bess the Book Bus, a mobile literacy outreach, for its second annual campaign to share the excitement of reading with thousands of children in more than 100 schools and Children’s Hospitals in 19 states. As part of the campaign, brand-new, free books were given away, and volunteers read to children.
KJ’s Super Stores
KJ’s Super Stores, a gas, car-wash and c-store chain, recently donated $40,000 to the Idaho Foodbank for children nutrition programs such as School Pantry and Backpack. The programs ensure that children and their families have access to the nutritious food.
The donation was the result of an in-store campaign during which store associates encouraged customers to “give a little extra” to provide hunger relief to their neighbors in need. The chain’s 19 stores in Idaho, Wyoming, Nevada and Utah collected $20,000 Jan. 15-25. KJ’s Super Stores matched the donations.
Speedway
Through donations from customers, vendor partners and employees, Speedway raised $10.3 million for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals in 2017. The Enon, Ohio-based c-store chain has raised more than $100 million in the past 26 years for the charity through a variety of fundraising activities, including year-round canister campaigns and golf fundraising tournaments.
“Surpassing $100 million is a tremendous source of pride for our employees,” said Speedway President Tony Kenney. “It is an honor and a privilege to support Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals in the communities where we live and operate.”
Speedway has been a corporate sponsor of Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals since 1991.
Stewart’s Shops
Continuing its long tradition of supporting Albany Medical Center, Saratoga Springs, N.Y.-based Stewart’s Shops and the Dake family have donated $500,000 to its new pediatric emergency department, the Massry Family Children’s Emergency Center. When it opens in summer 2018, it will be the only pediatric emergency department in northeastern New York and western New England.
“Stewart’s and the Dake family are committed to ensuring that all our shops’ communities are strong and healthy,” said Susan Law Dake, president of the Stewart’s Foundation. “We are happy to be part of Albany Med’s commitment to pediatric heath.”
VERC Enterprises
VERC Enterprises, Duxbury, Mass., recently presented a $500 grant to Florence Sawyer School in Bolton, Mass.; Henry C. Sanborn Elementary School in Andover, Mass.; and Weston Elementary School in Manchester, N.H. The convenience store and Mobil/Gulf gasoline operator also gave two $500 grants to Trinity Catholic Academy in Brockton, Mass.
The grants are made possible through the ExxonMobil Educational Alliance Program, which is funded by ExxonMobil Corp. and Global Partners LP and designed to provide local retailers an opportunity to invest in the future of their communities through educational grants to neighborhood schools.
Wawa
In 2017, Wawa, Pa.-based Wawa and the Wawa Foundation contributed more than $16 million to causes supporting health, hunger and everyday heroes. The c-store chain and its nonprofit charitable arm have contributed more than $49 million since 2014 and are well on their way to meeting a goal of $50 million by 2018.
Have a community-service announcement of your own to share? Send related news to Kristina Peters at kpeters@winsightmedia.com.