Community Service Roundup September 2018: Initiatives by 8 Retailers
By Kristina Hurtig on Sep. 20, 2018CHICAGO -- This community-service roundup features the charitable efforts of eight convenience-store retailers, three suppliers and one trade association.
Several of these recent efforts include relief sent to areas affected by Hurricane Florence, which made landfall just south of Wrightsville Beach, N.C., on Sept. 14.
Click through to read about these initiatives and more ...
7-Eleven
In its first activation since joining the American Red Cross Disaster Responder program, 7-Eleven Inc. is raising money to support the relief agency’s efforts in wake of Hurricane Florence. The Irving, Texas-based retailer is inviting customers to add $1 to their purchase at participating 7-Eleven stores nationwide or donate online at 7-eleven.com/hurricane-relief.
Through its 7-Eleven Cares Foundation, 7-Eleven joined the American Red Cross Disaster Responder program earlier this year. Members of the program include leading corporations that donate a minimum of $250,000 annually to provide the highest level of support to American Red Cross preparedness and relief efforts.
Casey’s General Stores
Casey’s General Stores, Ankeny, Iowa, and its customers in 16 states are teaming up in September to support the Muscular Dystrophy Association, helping kids and adults living with muscular dystrophy, ALS and other related life-threatening diseases. Through Sept. 30, Casey’s will sell pinups for $1 and $5. The pinups will also include a buy two, get one free coupon for 7UP products.
Casey’s has raised more than $10 million since 2006 in support of MDA.
Kwik Trip
La Crosse, Wis.-based Kwik Trip has raised more than $81,000 during its 2018 coin canister campaign to support the Partnership for a Healthier America. Now in its fifth year, the Kwik Trip campaign has raised more than $336,000 since 2014 to create healthier futures for children and young adults.
Love’s Travel Stops
Through Sept. 30, Love’s Travel Stops is raising money for sick and injured children through its 19th annual Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals campaign. Love’s is offering its customers the option of donating by rounding up their change on gasoline purchases or in-store restaurant purchases. More than 460 Love’s locations will also sell Miracle balloons for $1, $5 or $20 and hold events to raise money for patient families in their communities. The Oklahoma City-based retailer hopes to raise more than $3 million this year, benefiting 101 partner hospitals.
Above: Love’s is helping children such as Chloe, a Miracle Child, whose dad is a professional truck driver.
Photograph courtesy of Love’s Travel Stops
Maverik
Salt Lake City-based Maverik raised more than $27,000 to support Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA) during a six-week period in June and July. Maverik donated 5 cents from every purchase of private-label bottled water to PHA to support its Drink Up campaign, which encourages people to drink more water more often.
Maverik teamed up with PHA in May 2018 in a commitment to promote healthier options, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, healthier packaged food products and made-to-order options.
Rutter's
During a grand-opening event for its newest and largest location in Duncannon, Pa., York, Pa.-based Rutter’s donated $3,000 to organizations that serve the community. Receiving $1,000 each were the Duncannon Fire Co., Duncannon Emergency Management Services and the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank Harrisburg Branch.
“Our grand openings are a way for us to show our commitment to becoming part of the local fabric, and we look forward to supporting the community for many years to come,” said Scott Hartman, president and CEO of Rutter’s.
Stripes Convenience Stores
Dallas-based Stripes Convenience Stores' "Stripes Stores Celebrates Tomorrows” fundraising campaign helps kids with cancer celebrate tomorrow. Benefiting The University of Texas MD Anderson Children’s Cancer Hospital, the campaign coincides with Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month and runs Sept. 5-30. Stripes customers can choose to donate by purchasing $1 paper pinups at participating stores. With their donation, Stripes is giving participating customers coupons for a free 16-ounce Cafe de la Casa coffee and a buy one get, one free original breakfast taco from Laredo Taco Company.
Since 2014, Stripes and its customers have raised more than $4 million for MD Anderson Children’s Cancer Hospital.
TravelCenters of America
Through Sept. 30, TravelCenters of America, operator of the TA and Petro Stopping Centers travel-center brands, is holding a campaign in support of the St. Christopher Truckers Development and Relief Fund (SCF), a nonprofit organization that helps truck drivers suffering financial hardship due to being out of work for an illness or injury. During the “Band Together” campaign, patrons and employees of TA and Petro Stopping Centers will be invited to make contributions, with 100% of the proceeds going directly to SCF. Commemorative window clings will be made available for $1, along with wristbands and SCF keychains for $1 and $5, respectively.
Westlake, Ohio-based TravelCenters has been supporting drivers through the SCF since 2010.
Anheuser-Busch
St. Louis-based Anheuser-Busch sent six truckloads (more than 300,000 cans) of emergency canned drinking water to local communities in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia as the states prepared for Hurricane Florence.
The water was transported from Anheuser-Busch’s brewery in Cartersville, Ga., which periodically pauses beer production to can drinking water as a way of being ready to help communities in times of disaster. It was sent to wholesaler partners Carolina Eagle, KW Beverage and R.A. Jeffreys, which worked with the American Red Cross, the South Carolina National Guard and other local partners to distribute the water to those in need.
Since 1988, Anheuser-Busch and its wholesaler partners have provided more than 79 million cans of water to U.S. communities affected by natural disasters nationwide.
Photograph courtesy of Anheuser-Busch
Kellogg Co.
Battle Creek, Mich.-based Kellogg Co. has donated five semitrailers, or 21 million servings, of cereal, bars and crackers to Feeding America to support area food banks and help people in the Carolinas and Appalachia region affected by Hurricane Florence.
“We hope to provide comfort and important nourishment by lending our support at this time when people need it most,” said Kris Charles, senior vice president of global corporate affairs for Kellogg.
PepsiCo
The PepsiCo Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Purchase, N.Y.-based PepsiCo, is donating $1 million in grants to relief agencies and 350,000 meals to communities affected by Hurricane Florence. The foundation is giving two $500,000 grants to the American Red Cross and The Salvation Army.
The PepsiCo Foundation is a member of the American Red Cross’ Annual Disaster Giving Program, granting at least $500,000 annually to ensure the Red Cross can preposition supplies, secure shelters, maintain vehicles, train volunteers and prepare for future disasters.
SIGMA
SIGMA, the national trade association representing fuel marketers and convenience-store chain retailers in the United States and Canada, has announced its 2018 Carl Boyett Industry Scholarship winners. The program was established to assist SIGMA members’ employees to advance or expand their careers within their fuels industry companies. Two $5,000 scholarships for pursuit of a degree, program or specific training were awarded to Joel Faiman of Thorntons Inc. and Joe Snyder of Atlas Oil Co.
The Fairfax, Va.-based association also awarded eight Pay It Forward Scholarships. Recipients were Allison Bronk of Kwik Trip, Annie Brown of the McPherson Oil Cos. Inc., Roman Kaludi of SC Fuels, Britney Nicole McGloflin of Coulson Oil Co. Inc., Eric Miller of Sun Coast Resources Inc., Alexander Van Meter of Certified Oil Co., Andrea Vinson of Thorntons and Alexandra Wormley of U.S. Venture Inc.
Have a community-service announcement of your own to share? Send related news to Kristina Peters at kpeters@winsightmedia.com.