MILLVILLE, N.J. -- A $10,000 donation by Wawa on Monday to the Carmen DeGregorio Hero Fund doubled the total amount of money raised so far to $20,000, Sgt. Daniel Baer told The Bridgeton News.
Baer, who was at the Wawa convenience store in Millville, N.J., Monday to receive the check, said that the police department, as well as DeGregorio's family, were appreciative of the money, which will go to help the fallen officer's family with expenses and college tuition for his teenage children.
DeGregorio died in late November from injuries [image-nocss] he received while rescuing a woman who was being forced into the trunk of her boyfriend's vehicle at that Wawa location, said the report. He is survived by his wife, Adrienne, and twins Carmen F. DeGregorio III and Virginia Lynn DeGregorio.
Michele Dougherty, a spokesperson for the Wawa, Pa.-based retailer, said in a letter to the police department that the company was honored to be able to help DeGregorio's family. "We want to let you know that we consider retired officer Carmen DeGregorio, and all of the officers at the Millville Police Department, who serve and protect our communities, as heroes of the highest caliber," she said. "All of us at Wawa offer our deepest sympathy to Mrs. DeGregorio and the DeGregorio family, his friends and fellow officers."
Wawa's donation was a combination of contributions by customers and employees, and a match by Wawa's Corporate Charities Committee, the report said. The total amount collected from patrons and workers totaled $4,820. Wawa gave an additional $5,180.
The memorial fund, set up by the Millville Police Department, will allocate 75% of the donations received to an educational fund for the children, while the remaining funds will be used to assist the family with expenses.
In addition to the Wawa donation, Baer said the other money raised so far has come from a variety of sources, including other police unions. The sergeant said the department would also like to host annual dinners in memory of DeGregorio, and maybe have a scholarship in the retired officer's name.
Separately, Saratoga Springs, N.Y.-based Stewart's Shops' Holiday Match program, which completed its 21st year of collecting donations for local children's charities, had another record year with customers contributing more than $610,000. Stewart's Shops is matching that amount, for a total of more than $1.2 million to be distributed to hundreds of local children's charitable organizations in early 2008.
The Holiday Match program relies on customers making contributions in any of the 325 Stewart's Shops located in upstate New York western Vermont from Thanksgiving Day through Christmas Day. This year's amount represents an increase of 4% over last year's total.
"Our customers continue to impress us with their giving," said Susan Dake, Stewart's Foundation president. "The fact that donations have increased this year is overwhelming when you consider the tremendous increase in everyone's everyday costs. This year's success can be attributed to our nicer customers, nicer shop partners and the hard work of our media partners."
The Holiday Match program benefits children's organizations directly within the communities where Stewart's Shops are located. There are no administrative costs and 100% of the funds collected and matched benefit the communities that have made this program so successful. After this year's funds are distributed, more than $11 million will have been allocated since the program's inception in 1986.
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