Community Service Spotlight: EG America, Emarket & PepsiCo

EG America

EG America raised more than $645,000 for the American Cancer Society during a nationwide in-store fundraiser in July.

Throughout the month, guests at EG America's Certified Oil, Cumberland Farms, Fastrac, Kwik Shop, Loaf 'N Jug, Minit Mart, Quik Stop, Sprint Food Stores, Tom Thumb and Turkey Hill stores could donate $1, $5 or an amount of their choosing to the organization. EG America then matched the amounts raised by the top stores to increase the donation total.

"We appreciate the opportunity to partner with the American Cancer Society in its fight against cancer," said John Carey, EG America president and CEO. "Thanks to the compassion and generosity of our guests, and the dedication of our store team members, we're doing our part to help individuals and families impacted by this disease."

The American Cancer Society improves the lives of people with cancer and their families through advocacy, research, and patient support to ensure everyone has an opportunity to prevent, detect, treat and survive cancer.

Enmarket

Colonial Group Inc. and Enmark Stations Inc.'s c-store chain Enmarket donated more than $28,000 to nine United Way organizations across the three states in which the Savannah-based company operates. 

[Read more: Nouria Inks Acquisition Deal for Enmarket]

Most of the funds came from Enmarket customers who contributed to an in-store round-up campaign, with the company headquarters contributing the final $5,000.

"We are proud that 110 locations participated in this fundraising drive, where customers had the option to round up their purchase, with the change going to United Way," said Enmarket President Matt Clements. "Enmarket, as part of the Colonial Group family of companies, has a long history of supporting United Way, and this drive was an effective and fitting way to continue that tradition."

The donations were distributed to United Way groups in the communities of the stores where the funds were raised.  

PepsiCo Inc.

PepsiCo launched "Taste of Tomorrow," an initiative designed to increase Black representation in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) by investing $350,000 in financial support and providing additional resources to historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), particularly for students pursuing careers in food science and technology.

Black professionals remain underrepresented in STEM fields, making up only 9% of the workforce. The funding from PepsiCo and the PepsiCo Foundation is intended to address this disparity. 

[Read more: PepsiCo to Expand Multicultural Portfolio With $1.2B Acquisition]

The PepsiCo Foundation will provide $250,000 in scholarships to students pursuing STEM degrees across nine HBCUs for the 2025 school year. From now until Dec. 2, students at Benedict College, Bethune-Cookman University, Florida A&M University, Hampton University, Howard University, Jackson State University, Morgan State University, North Carolina Central University and Prairie View A&M University can apply to the program online. 

Additionally, PepsiCo plans to honor Florida A&M and Prairie View by providing $100,000 total for STEM resources to enhance their programs and foster innovation for long-term advancement of their programs.

Rapid Robert's

Family-owned Rapid Robert's raised more than $10,000 to benefit the Foundation for Springfield Public Schools (SPS) through its "Fueling the Future" fundraiser. The funds will support the foundation's mission to enhance educational opportunities for students throughout the district in Springfield, Mo.

Rapid Robert's collaborated with Ozarks Coca-Cola and Hiland Dairy, with a portion of proceeds from customer purchases of select products from these local companies contributing directly to the fundraiser. The c-store and Conoco also joined forces to donate 10 cents per gallon of fuel sold across all Rapid Robert's Springfield locations on Aug. 30.

Rapid Robert's exceeded its fundraising goal, helping to ensure that the foundation can continue to support vital programs, scholarships and classroom projects in Springfield Public Schools.

"We are incredibly grateful for the support of our customers, partners and the entire community," said Todd Wilson, chief operating officer of Rapid Robert's. "This fundraiser showcases the power of collaboration. Together with Ozarks Coca-Cola, Hiland Dairy and Conoco, we've made a significant impact on the future of education in Springfield. We're honored to work alongside the Foundation for SPS to help fuel the future of our local students."

Snappy's Convenience Stores

Locally owned Snappy's Convenience Stores raised $4,000 for the Alzheimer's Association Greater Pennsylvania Chapter through its "Ready, Set, Bloom We Can #ENDALZ" campaign. 

During July and August, customers at all 11 Snappy's locations across Clearfield, Centre, Mifflin and Union counties in Pennsylvania were invited to make a $1 donation, which contributed directly to the association. In return, donors wrote their name or a loved one's name on a purple flower that was displayed in-store to honor those affected by the disease.

The funds will be used to support the local Walk to End Alzheimer's, as well as the Alzheimer's Association's mission to provide local support groups and research grants. 

TravelCenters of America

TravelCenters of America (TA), a bp company, raised nearly $300,000 for St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund (SCF) and TAT, formerly Truckers Against Trafficking, in two separate fundraisers.

An annual charity golf event held in August was TA's most successful event ever, raising nearly $200,000 that will be distributed evenly between the two nonprofits. 

[Read more: TravelCenters of America Invests in Its Truck Services Business]

SCF, which provides financial assistance to professional drivers out of work due to illness or injury, will also receive an additional $89,000 from funds collected during a round-up campaign held in June and July at participating TA, Petro and TA Express locations.

"Thank you to our many guests, vendor partners, franchisees and team members who have been so generous with their time and support for SCF and TAT," said Debi Boffa, TA CEO. "These organizations have an immense impact on the trucking community, and we are committed to continuing our support of their important work."

The United Family

The United Family and its vendor partners raised $500,000 for 25 chapters of the United Way through its company's Jacky Pierce Charity Classic (JPCC) golf tournament, which took place Aug. 25-26. 

Named in honor of Jacky Pierce, the longtime produce director for United Supermarkets, the JPCC golf tournament remains a place for charitable giving, fellowship and community. Since its inception in the early 1990s, the event has raised more than $6.5 million for nonprofit organizations across Texas and New Mexico. 

"Making a positive impact on our communities is at the heart of our mission and, after all these years, the Jacky Pierce Charity Classic continues to be a major part of that," said Sidney Hopper, president of The United Family. "The nonprofit organizations, including The United Way, who benefit from this tournament do an outstanding job of improving our communities. We know these funds will greatly impact the thousands of people they serve."

The Vollrath Co.

In celebration of its 150th anniversary, The Vollrath Co. increased the company's corporate giving program, raising its community contributions by $150,000 in 2024 and bringing its total annual giving to the highest level in its history. 

Vollrath additionally committed to giving back at this level going forward and donating a consistent percentage of pre-tax profits every year to ensure sustained support. 

"For 150 years, our commitment to the communities we live and work in has been a cornerstone of who we are," said Erik Lampe, Vollrath president and CEO. "This milestone anniversary offers us the perfect opportunity to give back in a bigger and more meaningful way than ever before. Our increased community giveback program ensures that we are making a lasting impact on the people and organizations that have supported us throughout our journey."

Vollrath's giveback initiative is designed to be employee-driven, with each location empowered to allocate a portion of the increased budget to causes that resonate most within their local community. The company also places a strong emphasis on employee volunteerism, encouraging team members to give their time and talents to organizations and causes they are passionate about. 

Volta Oil

Volta Oil presented a check of more than $168,000 to the Alzheimer's Association Massachusetts/New Hampshire Chapter at the successful conclusion of the 13th annual Purple Pump Up Campaign. 

During the summer, Rapid Refill Convenience and Garrett's Family Market stores in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island partnered with the association to increase awareness and raise funds to benefit Alzheimer's care, support and research.

The campaign allowed customers visiting any of the participating locations the opportunity to contribute to the Alzheimer's Association either at the gas pump or within the stores. Additionally, on June 20, in alignment with the Alzheimer's Association's The Longest Day fundraising and awareness initiative, a donation of 5 cents from every gallon of gas sold was allocated to support the cause.

According to Volta, Garrett Family Market's Purple Pump Up is the largest cause marketing campaign of its kind in the New England Region to benefit the association. Since the campaign began a decade ago, it has raised a total of nearly $1.5 million for the Alzheimer's Association's Massachusetts/New Hampshire Chapter.

The Wills Group

The Wills Group, parent company of Dash In convenience stores and Splash In car washes, launched a new partnership with the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay as part of the company's new corporate community engagement initiative, Advancing Waterways and Watersheds. 

[Read more: The Wills Group Tops $1M in 2023 Community Engagement Efforts]

Wills Group kicked off the collaboration with a $50,000 grant to support the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay's "Project Clean Stream" at the company's eighth annual Blackie Wills Golf Classic. The tournament raised more than $427,000 to further support its community engagement program, part of the more than $3 million raised since 2017 to support nonprofit organizations, such as food banks, pantries and local parks.

The Advancing Waterways and Watersheds initiative was created to support the health and sustainability of vital water resources across the Mid-Atlantic region. The program is the third pillar of Wills Group's community engagement program, joining Wills Group's ongoing efforts, Nourishing Families and Children and Reimagining Outdoor Spaces. Since 2006, Wills Group has donated more than $6.5 million to nonprofit organizations and partners across Delaware, Maryland and Virginia.

The partnership with the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay will help support the largest trash cleanup initiative in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.