Community Service Roundup: Initiatives by 7 Retailers (June 2017)
By Kristina Hurtig on Jun. 13, 20177-Eleven
For the 22nd year, Irving, Texas-based 7-Eleven is working with police and sheriff’s departments to distribute free Slurpee drink coupons to children and youth through its Operation Chill community-service program. 7-Eleven will issue up to 1.33 million Slurpee coupons to almost 1,000 law enforcement agencies. Since the program began in 1995, more than 19 million Operation Chill coupons have been distributed across the country in areas where 7-Eleven operates.
enmarket
As part of its 2017 Encourage Healthy Education Series, Savannah, Ga.-based enmarket presented The Living Vine Christian Maternity Home with a $1,000 grant to be used for basic needs such as food, electricity, education and transportation.
The Encourage Health Education Series consists of four presentations from respected experts who share insights on nutrition and fitness. A local nonprofit organization is presented with a $1,000 Encourage Health grant during each presentation. The next presentation will be on June 27, and a $1,000 grant will be presented to Savannah Striders.
Parker’s
Parker’s has made a number of donations to Georgia schools as part of its Fueling the Community program. The Savannah, Ga.-based chain donates a portion of every gallon of gasoline sold on the first Wednesday of each month to area schools.
Recent recipients were:
- Evans County Schools: $1,500
- Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools: $20,000
- Effingham County Public Schools: $9,000
- Bulloch County Schools: $8,500
QuickChek
Through July 15, Whitehouse Station, N.J.-based QuickChek is raising funds to help support post-9/11 service members and their families through its in-store “dog tag” campaign. Customers can purchase paper dog tags for $1, and all proceeds will benefit Hope For The Warriors. QuickChek also supports the nonprofit through a summer charity golf outing and sponsors Hope For The Warriors events, such as the Long Island Run For The Warriors.
The c-store chain has raised more than $375,000 for Hope For The Warriors since 2014.
Rhodes Convenience Stores
Cape Girardeau, Mo.-based Rhodes Convenience Stores has become a partner of the Army’s Partnership for Youth Success (PaYS) program. Through the partnership, Rhodes guarantees honorably discharged soldiers and Army Reservists a job interview and possible employment after their service in the Army, according to the Southeastern Missourian.
Rutter's
Rutter’s Children’s Charities raised more than $175,000 for Central Pennsylvania charities at the York, Pa.-based chain’s 15th annual golf outing. The two-day golf outing has raised more than $1.72 million since it began in 2002.
Also, in anticipation of its upcoming deployment, a military unit made a Rutter’s in York Springs its last stop before departure on Sundays. The unit is filling up with about 2,000 gallons of fuel and getting about 200 cups of coffee each Sunday, Rutter’s said. Rutter’s stores provide free coffee or fountain drinks to active military, police and emergency services in uniform every day.
Sheetz
Altoona, Pa.-based Sheetz sponsored the eighth annual Paterno Family Beaver Stadium Run on April 23 at Penn State University. The event, which benefits the Special Olympics of Pennsylvania, helped send more than 2,000 athletes to the 2017 Special Olympics of Pennsylvania Summer Games in June.
During the Summer Games’ closing ceremonies, Sheetz named Sebastian Joynes as the 2017 Sheetz Family Award of Excellence winner.
Sheetz also held it 19th annual For the Kidz Golf Classic on May 21-22 at the Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina. The tournament is a fundraising effort for Sheetz for the Kidz, a charitable organization operated by Sheetz employees. Last year’s tournament raised approximately $760,000, helping Sheetz employees purchase and wrap holiday gifts for area children.
Dr Pepper Snapple Group
In partnership with the national nonprofit Keep America Beautiful, Dr Pepper Snapple Group is providing funding for 914 new recycling bins in public parks across the country in 2017. Now in its fifth year, the Park Recycling Bin Grant Program from Plano, Texas-based Dr Pepper Snapple Group and Keep America Beautiful has provided more than 4,300 recycling bins to local governments and community organizations across 41 states.
Utz Quality Foods
Utz Quality Foods, Hanover, Pa., its owners Mike and Jane Rice, and The Independence Corps & Spartan Alliance donated two Action Trackchairs (all-terrain wheelchairs) to wounded veterans from the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. These donations benefited Dustin Tuller of Milton, Fla., and Jon Harmon, who is currently at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
Have a community-service announcement of your own to share? Send related news to Kristina Peters at kpeters@winsightmedia.com.