LA CROSSE, Wis. – The Salvation Army La Crosse will recognize Don Zietlow, the president and CEO of convenience-store retailer Kwik Trip Inc., along with his wife, LaVonne, and family, for their support of the community at the organization’s seventh annual Civic Event on April 23.
Kwik Trip and the Zietlow family are being recognized for their contributions both as employers and as benefactors to countless nonprofits in this area, reported The La Crosse Tribune. They will receive the Salvation Army’s Community Red Shield Award, a recognition given to those who are making an impact on the community.
“Visionary, humble, private, generous, devout, caring for co-workers and community would be a few words to describe Don,” Salvation Army advisory board member Dale Walter told the newspaper. “His track record as a business person is stellar and his character as a person is even greater.”
LaVonne Zietlow gives just as generously of her time, contributing countless hours to the American Red Cross, the paper said.
In 2012, CSP named Zietlow as Retail Leader of the Year for Kwik Trip’s accomplishments in vertical integration, foodservice commitment and devotion to its people and culture of "making a difference" in the lives of others. (And click here or watch the embedded video below for Zietlow’s speech upon being honored as CSP’s 2012 Retail Leader of the Year.)
The Salvation Army reaches out to people in need beyond areas of poverty and has historically played a significant role in the lives of military personnel stationed overseas. The Salvation Army continues to help countless hungry people through its food distribution programs. Emergency canteens have been common sights at natural and man-made disasters. The Salvation Army served 5 million meals and spent 65 million dollars in providing financial assistance, social services and spiritual, grief and emotional counseling to more than 125,000 people. More than 107,000 Salvation Army employees and volunteers responded to the 9/11 disasters in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania by logging more than 1.6 million hours of service.
Founded in 1965, Kwik Trip is one of the largest independently held convenience store chains in the United States. It owns and operates more than 475 Kwik Trip, Kwik Star, Hearty Platter Restaurants and Tobacco Outlet Plus stores in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa. La Crosse, Wis.-based Kwik Trip continues to grow through new initiatives like its focus on food and value-priced commodities, as well as its newest endeavor--natural gas and other alternative fuels.
Click here to view the full La Crosse Tribune report.
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