Community Service Roundup October 2018: Initiatives by 9 Retailers
By Kristina Hurtig on Oct. 17, 2018CHICAGO -- This community-service roundup features the charitable efforts of nine convenience-store retailers and three suppliers.
With October being National Breast Cancer Awareness month, several chains are raising funds to support breast cancer charities.
Click through to read about these initiatives and more ...
Aloha Petroleum
Honolulu-based Aloha Petroleum recently donated $7,990.52 to the Queen’s Medical Center, an acute care medical facility, in support of its mission to deliver the highest-quality healthcare in Hawaii. The funds were raised in May and June through a canister collection program at participating Aloha Island Mart stores.
Pictured (from left): Casie Bui, Aloha Petroleum; Sharlene Tsuda, Queen’s Medical Center; and Gary Altman, Aloha Petroleum
Photograph courtesy of Aloha Petroleum
Chevron
Chevron USA Inc., San Ramon, Calif., has contributed $500,000 from the Chevron Global Community Fund to assist with efforts to recover from the damage done by Hurricane Michael.
“Hurricane Michael has taken a devastating toll,” said Dale Walsh, president of Chevron Americas Products. “The communities will come back stronger than ever, but in the meantime, there are families who are struggling. We are making this donation to help get these families the immediate assistance they need as they put their lives back together.”
The $500,000 donation will be evenly split between the American Red Cross and Volunteer Florida, Florida’s lead agency for volunteers and donations before, during and after disasters. Chevron will also match any qualifying donations made to the relief efforts by its employees and retirees.
Photograph: Shutterstock
Circle K
In support of National Breast Cancer Awareness month this October, Circle K has launched its annual fundraiser to support breast cancer research through its mobile app. The chain will donate 25 cents each time a customer uses the app to scan the donation barcode when refilling their “pink ribbon” tumbler with fresh coffee or a Polar Pop beverage. Circle K is also offering a “share” reward: When a customer shares the reward with family and friends through Facebook or Twitter, he or she can earn a free medium hot beverage as a thank-you for spreading awareness.
Photograph: Shutterstock
Holmes Oil Co.
Holmes Oil Co. has donated more than $15,000 to the University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center in Chapel Hill, N.C. The company’s Cruizers convenience chain, based in Chapel Hill, raised the funds from Aug. 2 to Sept. 2. The donation was more than quadruple the amount of money donated last year.
Photograph courtesy of Holmes Oil Co.
OnCue
OnCue recently donated $20,000 to Oklahoma schools after selling more than 36,000 “Support Oklahoma Schools” collectors’ cups; OnCue gave 50 cents from every cup directly to their store’s local school district. Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Education Joy Hofmeister recognized the donation on behalf of the public school districts.
Stillwater, Okla.-based OnCue has more than 75 locations and employs more than 1,000 Oklahomans.
Photograph courtesy of OnCue
QMart
To commemorate its newest location near San Antonio International Airport, QMart recently donated $1,000 to the Women in Aviation Alamo City Chapter, a nonprofit dedicated to providing networking, education, mentoring and scholarship opportunities for both women and men who strive for careers in the aviation and aerospace industries.
“Being part of the community is an essential aspect of our business at QMart, and as San Antonio International Airport is our neighbor, we see it fitting to aid causes that support those interested in aviation and aerospace,” said Fazil Malik, CEO of Houston-based Northwest Petroleum, which operates the QMart chain.
The new location features a cellphone lot with ample parking and a flight information display screen.
Photograph courtesy of QMart
Royal Farms
Royal Farms has donated $100,000 to the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center in Baltimore. The funds were raised during the chain’s first “Chickenpalooza” event, in which 10 cents from every two-piece chicken meal sold went to the children’s center. As part of Chickenpalooza, customers could also enter to win free chicken for a year. There were four winners, and Baltimore-based Royal Farms said it will give away a free two-piece chicken meal and a Royal Farms coffee tumbler to contestants who entered the contest but did not win the grand prize.
Sheetz
Through its Made-to-Share program, Sheetz is now providing hunger relief across every state in which it operates, including Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio and Maryland. As part of the program, Sheetz will make weekly food donations, including ready-to-eat sandwiches, wraps and salads, to Feeding America member food banks. The Altoona, Pa.-based chain will also provide financial donations to Feeding America member food banks at every new store opening.
Photograph: Shutterstock
VP Racing Fuels
In support of National Breast Cancer Awareness month, San Antonio-based VP Racing Fuels is selling “For the Ladies in My Life” men’s and women’s T-shirts and special-edition pink VP Racing Motorsports Containers. For every purchase of these items, a donation will be made to the Prevent Cancer Foundation.
VP has also partnered with Keystone Automotive Operations, in which Keystone will donate $1 to the Susan G. Komen of Greater Pennsylvania organization from the sale of every pink VP Racing Motorsports Container.
Antunes
Carol Stream, Ill.-based Antunes, a family-owned and -operated company specializing in the manufacturing of foodservice equipment, raised more than $76,000 for Splash, a nonprofit organization that brings clean water to children throughout the world, during its annual golf outing at St. Andrew’s Golf & Country Club in West Chicago, Ill. Splash is Antunes’ corporate charity partner.
Photograph courtesy of Antunes
ITG Brands
In late September, Greensboro, N.C.-based ITG Brands donated $25,000 to the North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund to help provide food, gas, water, building materials and other supplies to residents affected by Hurricane Florence. “We’ve been touched by the devastation, loss of life and disruption here in our own state,” said ITG Brands President and CEO Dan Carr. “Our thoughts and prayers are with our neighbors throughout the state and for all who have been impacted by this devastating storm.”
Pictured (from left):Rob Wilkey, executive vice president of legal and external affairs for ITG Brands; Kevin Monroe, deputy director of intergovernmental affairs for North Carolina; Dan Carr, ITG Brands president and CEO; and Michele Deuterman, senior vice president of human resources for ITG Brands
Photograph courtesy of ITG Brands
PepsiCo
On Oct. 1, more than 300 employees at PepsiCo’s headquarters in Purchase, N.Y., began a monthlong community service program by packing more than 285,000 meals for underserved communities in Westchester County, as well as communities in need in Latin America. Over the course of the month, New York-area employees will host 34 packing events to deliver more than 1 million nutritious meals created by international hunger relief organization Rise Against Hunger.
Have a community-service announcement of your own to share? Send related news to Kristina Peters at kpeters@winsightmedia.com.