ALTOONA, Pa. -- The employees of Sheetz Inc. announced their commitment to the hurricane relief effort by electing to give up monies earmarked for annual performance awards and recognition events, donating the funds to provide help for the victims of Katrina.
I couldn't be more proud of our employees, said President and CEO Stan Sheetz. Over the past week, we have received correspondence from Sheetz employees at all levels, across all 316 stores, the corporate offices, the distribution center and our drivers, expressing an overwhelming sentiment to do [image-nocss] something' for the victims of Katrina. Our employees wanted us to take funds we had allocated for programs and events designed to reward them for their hard work over the year, and use that money for Katrina relief efforts.
Sheetz will send a check for $316,000$1,000 per storeto the American Red Cross. In addition, Sheetz is sending four to five of its distribution center trucks to Baton Rouge, La., to bring fresh food and beverages to a center that is feeding 20,000 people a day, through churches and small rescue centers.
Our hearts go out to the families who have been so hard hit by this disaster. We want to do whatever we can to help, said Ray Ryan, vice president of distribution, at the Sheetz distribution center in Claysburg, Pa., where the first of the trucks headed for the Gulf Coast is being loaded with eggs, muffins, buns, deli meats, and more.
The company will be sending more than $200,000 worth of food and beverages to help with relief efforts, with each refrigerated food truck carrying about 83,000 individual meals. The first truck was scheduled to leave yesterday.
Sheetz has also begun fundraising efforts in their retail locations. Customers can now donate to hurricane relief efforts through change boxes placed near the cash registers in all 316 Sheetz convenience stores; 100% of all the contributions collected will be given to the Red Cross for aid to the victims of Kaztrina.
Altoona, Pa.-based Sheetz operates more than 300 c-stores throughout Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland, Virginia, Ohio and North Carolina.
In other relief effort news, Worsley Cos. Inc. donated $50,000.00 to the Red Cross Hurricane Katrina response. Cecil Worsley III, president of Worley Cos., said he is challenging other individuals and corporations to also contribute to the Red Cross so they can continue to shelter and feed the thousands of people whose lives are devastated by the hurricane. Being a coastal-based company, we are all familiar with hurricanes and the destruction they can cause. It could very easily have happened in our community, he said.
All stores will have Red Cross donation canisters by their registers to encourage customers to leave their change. The stores will also be selling Katrina Relief paper ribbons for $1 each. The ribbons will be posted in the stores to help to continue to raise awareness for the Red Cross. All donations will be forwarded to the home office where an account will be set up for the Red Cross.
Wilmington, N.C.-based Worsley Cos. operates 140 c-stores in the Carolinas under the names Scotchman Stores, S&E Food Marts, Your Convenience Stores and Young's Food Stores.
And Irving, Texas-based Exxon Mobil Corp. announced a Hurricane Katrina Matching Program for contributions by employees, retirees, surviving spouses, dealers and distributors worldwide. This effort is in addition to the more than $7 million already committed by the company.
ExxonMobil will provide a one-to-one match of individual contributions up to $50,000 made through Dec. 31, 2005, to organizations positioned to provide disaster relief and recovery assistance across the entire affected area. Each organization has its own area of focus:
American Red Cross (emergency response). Americares (essential medical supplies and personnel). America's Second Harvest (food to relief agencies and food banks). Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund (recovery and reconstruction efforts).Members help make our journalism possible. Become a CSP member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.