Community Service Roundup May 2019: Initiatives by 6 Retailers
By Kristina Hurtig on May 01, 2019CHICAGO -- This community-service roundup features the charitable efforts of six convenience-store retailers.
Chains here have shown support for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, Disabled American Veterans, the American Heart Association and more.
Click through to read about these initiatives ...
Casey's
Ankeny, Iowa-based Casey’s General Stores’ first monthlong charitable roundup program exceeded expectations, raising nearly $2.4 million for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals (CMN Hospitals). The donation will benefit 28 CMN Hospitals within Casey’s marketing territories.
The roundup program, which consisted of cashiers asking customers to “round up” their purchase to the nearest dollar, had staggered start dates depending on the Casey’s location, but each store ran the program for four weeks, mostly in February.
Circle K
Circle K, a wholly owned subsidiary of Laval, Quebec-based Alimentation Couche-Tard, is launching a national fundraising campaign at its franchise stores to support Disabled American Veterans, a nonprofit that works to ensure veterans can access the full range of benefits available to them. Through July 7, Circle K customers can make a $1, $3 or $5 donation at the register at any of its 668 franchise stores in 29 states.
Parker's
Parker’s recently donated $27,000 to Beaufort County Schools, a school district in Beaufort, S.C., as part of the c-store chain's Fueling the Community program, which donates 1 cent of every gallon of gas sold on the first Wednesday of each month to local schools.
Savannah, Ga.-based Parker’s launched Fueling the Community in 2011 and has donated money to public and private schools in every community where it does business.
Pilot Flying J
Knoxville, Tenn.-based Pilot Flying J raised $1 million in support of the American Heart Association’s “Life Is Why We Give” campaign, surpassing the $981,000 it raised in 2018.
During American Heart Month in February, the travel-center chain sold paper hearts for $1, $3 or $5 and gave customers the opportunity to round up their purchases to the next dollar at more than 650 Pilot and Flying J locations in the U.S. Customers could also donate through a link on the Pilot Flying J website.
Sheetz
Sheetz recently revealed the recipients of its Time Back initiative, in which the Altoona, Pa.-based c-store chain surprised customers with prizes that are important to them, including donations to charities they are passionate about, new vehicles, dream vacations and more. Recipients included:
- April McDuffie-Hodges of South Boston, Va., who was surprised with a $25,000 contribution to her business, Alexia’s Closet, which had been severely damaged from several major floods in recent years, as well as a new car, camper and $5,000 donation to the American Heart Association in honor of her son.
- Emily Spears of Confluence, Pa., who was surprised with $10,000 to help save the lives of homeless pets, as well as a dream vacation to Turks and Caicos and a new car after hers was destroyed in a recent accident.
- Todd Spurrier of Finksburg, Md., a cancer survivor who was surprised with a $25,000 contribution to his charity, Destination X Ride, which seeks to make more people aware of the dangers of colorectal cancer. He also was given a van that was custom-wrapped with his charity's logo and a $500 Sheetz gift card.
- Alan Jamieson of St. Mary's City, Md., who was surprised with a $25,000 donation to St. Mary's College of Maryland, where he is an associate professor, as well as a dream vacation to London and a $2,500 Sheetz gift card to help fuel his students.
- Chris Bizzell of Raleigh, N.C., who was surprised with a $25,000 donation to East Cary Middle School's athletic department, where he coaches track and field, as well as a new truck and all-expenses-paid trip to the Sheetz headquarters.
TravelCenters of America
Westlake, Ohio-based TravelCenters of America, operator of the TA, Petro Stopping Centers and TA Express brands, donated $112,946 to Truckers Against Trafficking, a nonprofit organization that aims to educate, equip, empower and mobilize members of the trucking and busing industries to combat human trafficking. TA-branded travel stores in January and February sold Truckers Against Trafficking logo merchandise, with $1 from every item sold going toward the nonprofit. TA has partnered with Truckers Against Trafficking since 2011.
Also, 12 employees of TravelCenters of America’s headquarters recently attended a Sound the Alarm fire safety and smoke-alarm installation event in the Clark-Fulton neighborhood of Cleveland. Volunteers installed 368 smoke alarms at 165 homes. They also reviewed a fire-safety checklist and created an evacuation plan at each home. American Red Cross took Sound the Alarm to the national stage four years ago. Volunteers have joined events in more than 100 at-risk communities in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Have a community-service announcement of your own to share? Send related news to Kristina Peters at kpeters@winsightmedia.com.