OAKBROOK TERRACE, Ill. -- From “Country Runs” to Valentine’s Day gift boxes, convenience-store retailers and suppliers are always coming up with innovative ways to give back to their community.
Here are some recent examples:
Alta Convenience. Denver-based Alta Convenience is thanking its customers for helping raise $60,017 during the Buy A Star Make-A-Wish in-store donation campaign. The campaign ran from November to December at all 57 Alta Convenience stores. The company also donated 10% from the sale of each cup of Alta Premium Coffee during the two months.
CST Brands. The San Antonio-based owner of Nice N Easy Grocery Shoppes held 10 Corner Store Country Run 5Ks across the United States during 2015. A total of $1.4 million was donated to children charities, including $750,000 to Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. In 2015, runs were added in Syracuse, N.Y., and Lehigh Valley, Pa. In Syracuse, checks for $10,000 each were presented to five local charities: Aldersgate Camp & Retreat Center, Paige’s Butterfly Run Inc., Rotary Foundation/CNY Children’s Foundation Inc., Tillie’s Touch, and Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital.
Jiffy Mart. Westminster, Md.-based Jiffy Mart donated $3,500 to the Center for Breast Health to benefit breast cancer patients at Carroll Hospital in Westminster. The funds were raised during an October campaign in which Jiffy Mart locations sold items such as pink pins, bracelets and magnets, and change collectors were placed on the counters for loose-change donations.
QuickChek. The Whitehouse Station, N.J.-based chain raised $160,000 to help feed hungry families throughout the metropolitan area this past holiday season. QuickChek is a campaign partner of Check-Out Hunger, an annual fundraiser that benefits more than 30 Feeding America food banks and affiliates from New England to Florida.
Rutter’s. The York, Pa.-based convenience-store group donated more than $235,000 to central Pennsylvania charities in 2015, elevating the company’s charitable giving total to more than $5 million in the past 12 years. And now Rutter’s is gearing up for Valentine’s Day. For the 11th year, the company is teaming up with Support Our American Recruits to pack Valentine’s Day gift boxes to be shipped to American troops overseas. Boxes will be filled with snacks, chewing gum, coffee and magazines donated by local suppliers as well as handmade Valentine cards from area school children and senior citizens.
SpartanNash. Grand Rapids, Mich.-based SpartanNash, a food distributor serving U.S. military commissaries and exchanges in the word, is helping its neighbors in Flint, Mich., by providing safe drinking water. Through Feb. 13, customers at all 91 Michigan D&W, Family Fare, VG’s, ValuLand and Forest Hills Foods stores and fuel centers can make a cash register donation of $2.99 toward a 24-pack case of Spartan bottled water. SpartanNash associates also are donating.
Please send your community service announcements to Kristina Peters at kpeters@winsightmedia.com.
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a CSP member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.