The employees of the 21 Q Mart Marketplace convenience stores in the Sheboygan area are committed to raising money to support the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). After launching its Shamrocks Against [image-nocss] Dystrophy fundraiser, employees went above and beyond by selling paper shamrocks and organizing additional contests and raffles which helped them raise more than $5,600.
"The annual Shamrocks Against Dystrophy program is the most exciting time of the year for our station," said Joann Brock, manager of a CITGO Q Mart and an employee for 28 years. "This year, we had a terrific response from area businesses who purchased plaques in the store and donated prizes for our raffle."
She added, "Each year, we try to have fun with the promotion and, as a result, we get a terrific response from the local community. We are proud to say that with the support of the community, our station will be able to send seven children to an MDA summer camp this year."
Over the past six years, her store alone has raised more than $31,000 and sent 38 children to an MDA summer camp.
This year, each Q Mart station in the Sheboygan area had a goal of raising at least $800, the cost of sending one child to an MDA summer camp, a goal which each station exceeded. Brock and her staff set their own fundraising goal of $5,600, which they met by raffling off a range of prizes, including fuel cards, car washes and gift cards for area businesses.
"In addition to the $1 green shamrocks, we had $5 gold and $10 photo shamrocks that people customized," said Terrie Snow, an employee of that store. "Our customers, the majority of whom stop in once or twice each day, are used to our enthusiastic MDA fundraising antics and really got into the spirit of the program, filling the store with colorful shamrocks. Seeing the support first-hand reminded me of what an honor it is to live in a community that opens its heart to such a worthy cause."
As a result of their hard work, Brock and Snow have been invited by CITGO to the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon for the last five years. Last year, Quality State Oil presented a check for $44,000 to MDA on the nationally televised program. Working so closely with MDA, Q Mart and Quality State Oil employees have taken on a role as advocates for neuromuscular diseases and are helping the community become more aware of the diseases and the work MDA is doing to find a cure.
"Each year, I am invited to visit the MDA Summer Camp at Green Lake, Wis. and meet with the children and families who benefit from our fundraising efforts," said Scott Stangel, wholesale marketing manager at Quality State Oil. "Seeing the fun these children have at the camps, and knowing the dedication MDA has to finding a cure for these diseases, makes me very proud of the support that Q Mart employees and the people of Sheboygan give to our fundraisers."
Q Mart stations across Sheboygan will continue to collect money for the MDA throughout the year. Quality State Oil will also be holding its annual golf event on July 15 to raise additional funds for MDA. Last year, the golf tournament raised more than $33,000 with the support of area businesses.
CITGO, in alignment with the principles of social development of its shareholder, Petroleos de Venezuela SA, the national oil company of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is the largest corporate sponsor of MDA. CITGO Q Mart stores, like each of the more than 400 locally owned CITGO stations in Wisconsin and the nearly 7,000 CITGO stations in 27 states, are dedicated to serving their community and raising money to support MDA and other local charity and community programs.
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.