Community Service Roundup December 2018: Initiatives by 7 Retailers

CHICAGO -- This community-service roundup features the charitable efforts of seven convenience-store retailers, one association and several suppliers.

One chain celebrated Wildlife Conservation Day, and others donated to wildfire and earthquake relief efforts.

Click through to read about these initiatives and more ...

To celebrate Wildlife Conservation Day on Dec. 4, Irving, Texas-based 7-Eleven and Yowie Chocolate, a popular Australian chocolate brand, teamed up with the Dallas Zoo to deliver treats for both animals and visitors.Yowie delivered enrichment items for several of the zoo’s animals, and the company gave visitors a free Yowie premium nut-free chocolate with a limited-edition animal figurine inside.

San Ramon, Calif.-based Chevron donated $1 million from the Chevron Global Community Fund to the American Red Cross in support of relief efforts for the wildfires that plagued Northern and Southern California.

“As a California company, we mourn the loss of life and destruction these fires have caused,” said Chevron Chairman and CEO Michael Wirth. “Our thoughts are with all our neighbors who have been affected by the fires.”

Chevron also recently announced that its network of company-owned and -operated retail stations has raised $11 million for charities over the past 10 years. In recent years, its social investment program has focused on children’s health through collaborations with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, the McKenna Claire Foundation and Children’s Miracle Network. 

ExxonMobil, Irving, Texas, has given the American Red Cross of Alaska a $50,000 grant to assist with relief efforts in communities affected by an earthquake Nov. 30 and subsequent aftershocks.

“The response efforts demonstrated by the Red Cross along with those of state and local agencies have been nothing short of exemplary, and we hope that our contribution will be of assistance,” said Darlene Gates, president of ExxonMobil Alaska.

As part of its “High’s for the Holidays” campaign, Baltimore-based High’s has set up donation boxes at each of its stores, as well as its corporate office, for customers and employees to make food donations.

High’s is also working alongside WBAL and 98 Rock radio stations in support of the WBAL Kids Campaign and Gameday Firehouse. High’s will provide coffee, eggnog and other holiday favorites during the Kids Campaign live broadcast Dec. 20-21. High’s will also provide eggnog for a featured drink at the Gameday Firehouse; proceeds will be donated to the Baltimore Firefighters Widow and Orphan Fund.

Savannah, Ga.-based Parker’s recently donated $5,000 to Susan G. Komen Coastal Georgia, helping the nonprofit organization offer breast cancer screenings, support services and ongoing education to area residents. Every year, Parker’s donates a portion of the proceeds from the sale of pink breast cancer refillable cups to Susan G. Komen Coastal Georgia, which serves residents of Bryan, Bulloch, Camden, Chatham, Effingham, Glynn, Liberty, Long and McIntosh counties.

In November 2018, Parker’s CEO Greg Parker also donated $5 million to name the Parker College of Business at Georgia Southern University.

Westlake, Ohio-based TravelCenters of America again showed its support for Wreaths Across America by serving dinner Dec. 12 to volunteers and veterans who stopped at the Petro location in Bordentown, N.J., as they made their way to Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C. Tens of thousands of volunteers, including professional truck drivers, were expected to deliver and help place more than 250,000 veteran wreaths at Arlington on Dec. 15. Dozens of trucking companies have also contributed to the effort through donations of trucks, drivers’ time and fuel.

Powell, Tenn.-based Weigel’s recently wrapped its third annual fundraiser for Smoky Mountain Service Dogs’ “More Wags for Warriors” campaign. Smoky Mountain Service Dogs, which has a training facility in Lenoir City, Tenn., is 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 trained service dogs. The cost to raise and train one service dog is about $22,000.

Also, as part of its annual Weigel’s Family Christmas, the operator of 66 c-stores, a dairy and a bakery brought together more than 200 local children and more than 600 volunteers for a Christmas shopping spree. It’s the 21st year that Weigel’s has teamed up with the Salvation Army for the event for underprivileged children from Knoxville, Tenn., and the surrounding areas. The children range in age from 5 to 9 and are each given $150 to spend at Target.The Salvation Army selects the children, and Weigel’s organizes the event and provides funding.

As part of NATSO Connect 2019, the NATSO Foundation, Alexandria, Va., is holding a Fun Run at 7 a.m. Feb. 11 on the boardwalk outside Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resorts in Orlando, Fla.

The Fun Run is sponsored by Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores, McLane, Pilot Flying J and TravelCenters of America. It will include a 5K and a 1-mile course that participants can run or walk. The money raised will support the NATSO Foundation, which is the research, education and public outreach subsidiary of NATSO Inc.

Registration for the Fun Run is $50 and can be completed at natsoconnect.com/funrun.

NATSO is the trade association of America’s travel plaza and truckstop industry.

On America Recycles Day (Nov. 17), the Coca-Cola Foundation and Keep America Beautiful opened the application period for the 2018 Keep America Beautiful/Coca-Cola Public Spaces Recycling Bin Grant Program. In its 12th year, the initiative is designed to increase access to recycling in community public spaces across America. Grant applications will be available online at bingrant.org through Dec. 20.

For the past 11 years, the Coca-Cola Foundation has supported the program, which has donated recycling bins to more than 1,000 communities in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The Coca-Cola Foundation is Atlanta-based Coca-Cola’s primary international philanthropic arm.

During its annual golf event, Clermont County, Ohio-based Lykins Energy Solutions raised $75,000 for CASA for Clermont Kids, a nonprofit agency that is working to improve the lives of abused, neglected and dependent children of Clermont County. 

The donation equates to 38% of CASA’s annual budget.

CASA was named the beneficiary of the Lykins Energy Solutions Golf Outing in 1998. Since then, Lykins has raised more than $735,000 for the organization.

Through the support of S&D Coffee & Tea, Concord, N.C., five coffee professionals recently received the Specialty Coffee Association’s (SCA) new Leadership Equity and Diversity (LEAD) Scholarship. The scholarship is aimed at increasing leadership diversity within the global coffee community by allowing access to professional development resources to people from underrepresented or marginalized communities.

The recipients will complete a two-year program together; attend an SCA origin trip and a community/professional event; and complete their choice of a Coffee Skills Program course or AST Certification. The 2018-2020 LEAD scholars are Karla Ly Quinones, Lisette Barbera, Smayah Uwajeneza, Stephanie Alcala and Taya Brown.

Have a community-service announcement of your own to share? Send related news to Kristina Peters at kpeters@winsightmedia.com.