Community Service Spotlight: Enmark, Stripes & Kangaroo Express

NATIONAL REPORT — Giving back through community service efforts and charity 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:

Casey’s General Stores Inc.

Casey’s is helping approximately 400 Iowa veterans of the Korean War take a trip this month to Washington, D.C., to view the memorial to those who served in that conflict. The Honor Flight for these veterans will take place Sept. 30, with departure from Des Moines International Airport.

Casey’s and Hy-Vee Food Stores Inc. are each providing $110,000 to help cover expenses, with additional funds coming from Polk County officials and three anonymous donors.

Over the last decade, Honor Flights have taken about 3,000 veterans of World War II and the Korean War to Washington, D.C., to view the monuments built in honor of their service.

Enmark Stations Inc.

Enmark raised $1,000 for the Savannah Bicycle Campaign, a nonprofit organization working to build a better Savannah through bicycling. Enmark accomplished this by matching proceeds raised from John Bennett’s “5 Ways to Make Bicycling a Healthy Part of Your Daily Life”, the third of five lectures in the Enmark Encourage Health Education Series 2014.

Enmark partnered with Healthy Savannah, the Savannah Morning News, Savannah Magazine, WJCL and GPB Savannah – WSVH 91.1/WWIO 89.9 — to present this premier series of five wellness lectures benefiting local nonprofit organizations focused on wellness.

Hess Corp.

Wolf Pup Daycare in Watford City, N.D., received a $50,000 donation from Hess, bringing the total amount raised for the daycare project to roughly $1.2 million. The $4.7-million daycare facility, which has a capacity for 190 children, celebrated its grand opening in August.

The Hess donation will be used to help cover the cost of educational equipment and furniture for the preschool and three-year-old classrooms.

Kangaroo Express

Kangaroo Express, a division of The Pantry Inc., announced a $500 scholarship contest for students attending schools in the Big South Conference. This scholarship contest is available exclusively within the Kangaroo Express mobile app.

To enter, Big South students are invited to download the free Kangaroo Express app, at www.kangarooexpress.com/mobileapps, and navigate to the “More” tab. The contest is open until Feb. 1, 2015. One winner from each school will be randomly selected and announced at the Big South Basketball Championships March 4-9 at Coastal Carolina University.

NOCO Express

NOCO Express employees and customers raised $13,334 to support Hospice Foundation of Western New York. Throughout the month of July, paper sunflowers were sold for $1 each at NOCO Express’ 36 locations to support participating hospice programs in western New York.

The mission of hospice is to provide hope, care and dignity to patients who face a life-threatening illness and their families. Patients receive hospice care every day in their homes, hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living facilities and group homes.

Stripes Convenience Stores

On Sept. 1 — the first day of Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month — Stripes launched its newest in-store fundraising campaign, “Stripes Stores Celebrates Tomorrows.” As part of this campaign, the retailer formed a new alliance with The University of Texas MD Anderson Children's Cancer Hospital to help kids with cancer.

The campaign goal of $500,000 will help save kids' lives by providing more effective and safer cancer treatments; keep kids in school during treatments; and fund engaging programs for kids with cancer. Stripes customers can donate at all Stripes locations during the campaign, which runs through Sept. 28, and 100 percent of the funds raised will go to these programs. The donation will be matched dollar for dollar by the James B. and Lois R. Archer Charitable Foundation.

Customers are being asked to help children with cancer by purchasing a $1 pin-up paper icon. Participating customers receive coupons for a free 12-ounce Slush Monkey and a buy-one-get-one free Smokin' Barrel Snack Co. Peanuts or Trail Mix snack with their donation.

Stripes hosted campaign kickoff events in seven Texas cities that began in Houston and ended in Corpus Christi. Communities were invited to paint a red line (strike) through the word cancer emblazoned outside of designated Stripes locations. Customers also wrote tributes and words of encouragement in honor of their loved ones during these kickoff events.