NATIONAL REPORT — Giving back through community service efforts and charitable donations is a positive force that keeps many retailers and suppliers of this industry moving ahead. On a regular basis, Convenience Store News highlights these philanthropic efforts in this special section.
Here are the latest company spotlights:
BUC-EE'S
Buc-ee's gave away a $10,000 cash prize to the organization of one first responder during the 2018 First Responder Bowl, which was held Dec. 26.
"As proud sponsors of this year’s First Responder Bowl, we wanted to honor the brave men and women who protect and serve our communities," said Jeff Nadalo, Buc-ee's general counsel and spokesperson. "They are true heroes and we are humbled to support them."
In addition to the contribution from Buc-ee's, a K9 grant will be awarded by K9s4Cops, a non-profit that focuses on placing K9 officers in communities and schools across the country.
CASEY'S GENERAL STORES
During its seventh annual dog tag campaign, Casey's General Stores raised more than $845,000 for Hope For The Warriors, a national non-profit dedicated to restoring a sense of self, family and hope for veterans, service members and military families.
During the month of November, Casey's customers purchased $1 dog tags that were displayed throughout the store. Collective efforts from the more than 2,000 stores located in Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee and Wisconsin totaled $845,797.86.
A check presentation took place at the Siloam Springs, Ark., Casey's store, which was the location that collected the most donations.
"Each year, we are so honored to host the dog tag campaign to support the brave men and women who serve our country," said Mike Richardson, vice president of marketing at Casey's General Stores. "Once again, our customers and employees stepped up to help Hope For The Warriors create positive change and provide hope to those military families who need it most."
In seven years of supporting Hope For The Warriors, Casey's General Stores have raised more than $4 million.
CRUNCH
CRUNCH, a licensed brand by Ferrara Candy Co., an affiliate of Ferrero Group, is supporting DonorsChoose.org, an American non-profit founded in 2000, to empower public school teachers to request much-needed materials and experiences for their students.
The chocolate candy brand is donating $100,000 to match consumer donations to a multitude of classroom projects that support inclusion, diversity and multiculturalism across the country.
"As the chocolate bar all Americans love, CRUNCH was inspired to give back to some of the most important people in America — public school teachers," said Natalie Hagstrom, general manager of Chocolate, CRUNCH. "The students of American public schools are the future CRUNCH generation and we want them to thrive."
GATE PETROLEUM CO.
The GATE Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Jacksonville-based GATE Petroleum Co., presented St. Augustine Youth Services (SAYS) with a $120,000 check to support the organization’s work with at-risk boys. This donation was supported by proceeds from the foundation’s 23rd annual Charity Golf Tournament.
"Young men are facing so many challenges in today's world. The caring, stable and therapeutic services that SAYS provides made the organization stand out to us and we wanted to support their valuable work," said Kathy Brady, executive director of the GATE Foundation. "We'd like to thank our generous sponsors and all those who participated in the 2018 Charity Golf Tournament for making this donation possible."
HIGH's
High's convenience stores teamed up with Carroll Fuel hosted an annual food drive to benefit the Maryland Food Bank during the past holiday season to collect almost 4,000 pounds of food to donate to the foodbank in 2019.
The food drive began just before Thanksgiving and continued until the end of 2018. Boxes were placed at each store, as well as the corporate office to collect customer and employee food donations. High’s worked with Fresh Creative Cuisine for pick-up and delivery to the Maryland Food Bank.
Headquartered in Baltimore, High's operates 48 convenience stores.
PEPSICO
PepsiCo and Johnny Mac Soldiers Fund presented Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation (Fallen Patriots) with a $1 million check during one of America's biggest collegiate rivalries: the Army vs. Navy football game.
Earlier this year, PepsiCo's 4th annual "Rolling Remembrance" fundraising campaign — a 7,000-mile relay that transports an American flag, originally flown on a UH-60M Blackhawk Helicopter in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom 2012, from coast to coast in the United States — raised more than $250,000 to support Fallen Patriots, which was then matched by the PepsiCo Foundation.
Contributions from partners including 7-Eleven Inc., the Army & Airforce Exchange Service, Foodland and Stater Bros. were made in the form of cash donations, in-kind donations and in-store customer promotions.
Based on the $32,000 funding gap between government assistance programs and the cost of a four-year degree, the contribution will help provide Fallen Patriots scholars over 160 years of debt-free college education.
"PepsiCo is proud to recognize the sacrifices of veterans and their families by helping ensure a bright future for the children left behind," said Jim Farrell, PepsiCo Vice President of Logistics, Distribution and Transportation Jim Farrell, who served five years in the U.S. Army which inspired his involvement as a member of the Fallen Patriots board.
RUTTER'S
Winners of Rutter's 2018 Vote With Your Dollars Program were Make-A-Wish of Greater Pennsylvania and West Virginia, and the Adams County SPCA.