OAKBROOK TERRACE, Ill. -- In this roundup of charitable efforts by convenience stores, you will find donations to national nonprofits, scholarships to deserving students and deliveries to food banks. Here are some recent examples, as well as other ways retailers are showing community support:
- Alimentation Couche-Tard: The Sandra and Alain Bouchard Foundation donated $4 million to the Montreal Neurological Institute at McGill University for research of the genetic and molecular basis of intellectual disabilities. The donation will establish the Sandra and Alain Bouchard Intellectual Disability Research Program. Alain founded Alimentation Couche-Tard in 1980.
- Casey’s General Stores: During its annual “dog tag” campaign, Casey’s General Stores raised nearly $1 million for Hope for the Warriors, a nonprofit dedicated to restoring a sense of self, family and hope for veterans, service members and military families. The Ankeny, Iowa-based convenience-store company has raised more than $3.9 million in five years of supporting Hope for the Warriors.
- Cumberland Farms: For the 10th consecutive year, 130 high school seniors from nine states have been awarded $1,000 Cumberland Farms “Believe & Achieve” scholarships. The Framingham, Mass.-based company has provided more than $1 million in financial assistance to more than 1,000 young individuals since the program’s launch a decade ago.
- Enmarket: The Savannah, Ga.-based convenience-store company raised $91,530 through sales of paper icons and “Full-Service Friday” events in support of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s 2016 Light the Night Walk. This was the fifth year enmarket has raised money in support of LLS’s mission to cure blood cancer and help patients and their families.
- Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores: Upon the opening of its new store in Sidney, Neb., Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores donated $1,000 to the Sidney Memorial Public Library and another $1,000 to the Sidney Public Schools. Oklahoma City-based Love’s makes a community donation with each new store opening.
- MFA Oil Co.: This farmer-owned cooperative based in Columbia, Mo., raised $165,000 to support Operation Homefront, a national nonprofit organization that provides emergency and other financial assistance to military troops and their families. The money was raised through the company’s second annual Charity Golf Scramble & Concert.
- SuperAmerica: SuperAmerica and Minnesota United soccer player Jamie Watson teamed up to donate all Icee purchases June 29 at participating SuperAmerica locations to Special Olympics Minnesota, calling it “Cold for Gold” day. An exclusive flavor of Icee—the Jamie Watson Kickin’ Blue Strawberry—is available only at SuperAmerica stores.
- United Family: The Lubbock, Texas-based grocery chain delivered 116,146 pounds of food to eight food banks in the company’s service areas. The contribution will provide more than 96,000 meals to about 32,000 families throughout West Texas, Dallas-Fort Worth and eastern New Mexico.
- AFPD Foundation: The Michigan and Ohio Associated Food & Petroleum Dealers (AFPD), the “voice for the food, beverage and petroleum industries,” awarded $1,500 scholarships to 38 students (32 in Michigan, four in Ohio and one in Illinois). Last year, the AFPD Foundation awarded 34 academic scholarships, totaling $51,000.
Please send your community service announcements to Kristina Peters at kpeters@winsightmedia.com.
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