Wawa Commits Aid to Hurricane Ian Relief in Florida

WAWA, Pa. — As a member of the Florida community for more than a decade, Wawa Inc. is committed to providing support to the Sunshine State following the impact of Hurricane Ian.

On Sept. 28, Hurricane Ian made way into southwest Florida as a Category 4 hurricane, pulverizing coastal homes and trapping residents with floodwaters, especially in the Fort Myers and Naples areas. It pushed inland into Sept. 29, bringing strong winds and damaging flooding to central and northeastern areas, CNN reported.

As part of its support to aid in storm recovery efforts, Wawa has made a $500,000 donation to the Florida Disaster Fund, the state's official private fund established to provide financial assistance to communities as they respond to and recover from times of emergency or disaster.

Additionally, Wawa convenience stores across the state are providing free coffee and fountain beverages to all first responders, including police, fire, EMT and the National Guard.

"As a member of the Florida community for more than a decade, we believe Wawa has a responsibility to give back and provide much-needed support for our Florida friends and neighbors during times of need," said Wawa President and CEO Chris Gheysens. "While recovery efforts continue, Wawa will do everything in our power to help our community and remain stocked with essential food and fuel during these challenging times. We thank our heroic first responders and friendly neighbors doing their part to support our communities and get us back and running again."

In the wake of Hurricane Ian, Wawa is providing a detailed and regularly updated list of its Florida store status, including information on the store's opening status and its fuel supply. The list, which is available here, will be continuously updated every day until all stores are fully reopened, according to the company.

Wawa commemorated the 10th anniversary of the opening of its first convenience store in the Sunshine State on July 18. Over the past decade, the retailer has expanded across the state and plans to open its 250th convenience store in Florida later this year.

Headquartered in Pennsylvania, Wawa operates roughly 965 c-stores throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Florida and Washington, D.C. The company plans to operate approximately 1,800 locations by 2030, eventually cutting the ribbon on up to 100 c-stores a year.