Sheetz Sweeps Offers WVU Students a Free Ride

MORGANTOWN, W. Va. — Sheetz Inc. is marking the grand opening of its first college store with a contest aimed at helping students pay the bills.

Sheetz is offering full- and part-time students at West Virginia University in Morgantown an opportunity to win up to $10,000 in tuition and books for the 2015-16 academic year. The promotion comes as the retailer prepares to open its new concept "Made-to-Order" grocery store at University Place on March 3, according to the school.

The "Free Ride" contest begins Feb. 16 and ends Feb. 27. Students will have up to four chances to win by taking four separate photographs, two per week, in front of a backdrop at the Mountainlair, the university's student union, or at the Sheetz Coffeez truck and tweeting it to @WVUPlaceSheetz with the hashtag #SheetzFreeRideSweeps.

Ten finalists will be chosen and the winner will be announced at the WVU vs. Oklahoma State University men's basketball game at 2 p.m. March 7 at the WVU Coliseum.

Sheetz will also be making stops around campus with its Coffeez Truck, offering free samples as it parks at various campus locations from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 16-20 and Feb. 23-27.

University Place is a $70-million, mixed use residential and retail complex in the Sunnyside neighborhood of Morgantown, located a few blocks from WVU's downtown campus. The housing complex, a partnership with the university, opened to WVU students in recent months as work continues on the retail shops.

The WVU Sheetz location is the first Sheetz without gas. The retailer plans to open a second gas-free location in State College, Pa., near Penn State University. Renovations of the 5,000-square-foot Pennsylvania location will begin in April. It will be the first Sheetz store near downtown State College.

Altoona, Pa.-based Sheetz Inc. operates 489 convenience stores throughout Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland, Virginia, Ohio and North Carolina.