Community Service Roundup: Initiatives by 7 Retailers and More (November 2016)
By Kristina Hurtig on Nov. 08, 2016CHICAGO -- This community service roundup features a special appearance from The Avett Brothers, as well as convenience-store campaigns in support of March of Dimes, Wreaths Across America and more.
Click through to read about these charitable efforts and more from seven convenience-store retailers. Plus, find out which soft-drink brand is teaming up with the aforementioned rock group.
Circle K
Circle K is continuing its partnership with the March of Dimes for its annual Pick-a-Pumpkin campaign. Through Nov. 13, Circle K customers can donate $1 or $5 to the March of Dimes with a purchase of a paper pumpkin. Last year, the campaign raised more than $1 million. Alimentation Couche-Tard, Laval, Quebec, is the parent company of the Circle K convenience chain.
Cumberland Farms
Now through Dec. 15, Framingham, Ma.-based Cumberland Farms is accepting applications for its Believe and Achieve Scholarship Program, which provides $1,000 scholarships to 130 eligible graduating high school seniors each year. The program is open to students who live within 30 miles of any Cumberland Farms location and are entering a full-time undergraduate course of study at an accredited college, university or vocational-technical school in fall 2017. Winners will be notified in spring 2017.
Hawaii Petroleum
The Maui Nonprofit Directors Association awarded Hawaii Petroleum, an independent distributor of petroleum products and lubricants on the islands of Maui and Hawaii, with the “Community Business Award.” Hawaii Petroleum has a long history of community giving, donating thousands of dollars to charitable organizations and fundraising events throughout the Big Island and Maui County. So far in 2016, Hawaii Petroleum has donated $77,499 to local communities.
Love’s Travel Stops
With the help of its customers, employees at more than 390 Love’s Travel Stops in 40 states raised $2.53 million for the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. This was Oklahoma City-based Love’s 18th year supporting Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. The convenience chain sold CMN Hospitals’ Miracle Balloons for donations and organized events such as 5K runs, rummage sales, cookouts, wrestling tournaments, pet contests, skateboard tournaments and more.
Lykins Energy Solutions
Parker's
Pilot Flying J
Pilot Flying J, Knoxville, Tenn., will donate a portion of its proceeds, up to $25,000, from the sale of 20- and 24-ounce PhilMor travel coffee refills on Veterans Day, Nov. 11, to Wreaths Across America, a nonprofit organization known for remembering fallen heroes and honoring those who serve. Funds raised will go toward sponsoring a special section of the Arlington National Cemetery on National Wreaths Across America Day on Dec. 17.
Cheerwine
For the fifth year, Cheerwine, a soft-drink brand owned by Salisbury, N.C.-based Carolina Beverage Corp., and The Avett Brothers are teaming up to host a concert to raise funds for three nonprofits: Wags & Wishes in Cambridge, Md.; Hungry for Music in Washington, D.C.; and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The duo has raised more than $200,000 for charities to date through a series of “Legendary Giveback” concerts. This year’s “Legendary Giveback 5” concert will be Nov. 19 at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center in Salisbury, Md. Donations to this year’s beneficiaries can be made at Indiegogo.
PepsiCo
Purchase, N.Y.-based PepsiCo and Frito-Lay employees from offices throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex recently took part in the seventh annual PepsiCo United Way Day of Caring. An estimated 1,300 Frito-Lay and PepsiCo volunteers contributed approximately 6,000 hours of their time to 19 United Way service providers to help countless north Texans in need. Volunteers painted and repaired facilities, sorted donations, hosted a fall festival for senior citizens and constructed a playground for preschoolers, among many other activities. In the past six years, Frito-Lay and PepsiCo associates have contributed an estimated 34,000 volunteer hours to area nonprofits through Day of Caring events.
Tyson Foods
Tyson Foods Inc., Springdale, Ark., and NACS, Alexandria, Va., donated a truckload of protein to the Atlanta Community Food Bank to help eliminate hunger in the greater Atlanta area. The food bank, which serves 29 counties, distributed the donated food through its service network of 600 agency partners, including nonprofit and faith-based organizations.
Have a community-service announcement of your own to share? Send related news to Kristina Peters at kpeters@winsightmedia.com.