Community Service Roundup, June 2023
By Rachel Gignac on Jul. 12, 2023Six convenience stores, an energy brand and two suppliers donated considerable time and funds to charities and their communities in June.
Highlights include Wawa’s partnership with Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida, Murphy USA’s roundup campaign for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and EG America’s $636,000 donation to the American Cancer Society.
Click through to read more about this month’s charity initiatives …
Wawa
Wawa, Wawa, Pennsylvania, and Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida are co-piloting the Fly Beyond; Inspiring Goodness with Food initiative, which will provide fresh produce to more than 53,000 households through two of the food bank’s childhood hunger prevention initiatives: Summer Food Service and The School Partnership Programs.
Starting in June 2023, Summer Food Service program enhancements include take home bags filled with fresh produce and other pantry staples each week and special visits from The Wawa Foundation’s Community Care Vehicle distributing free hot coffee and refreshers.
Beginning in fall 2023, The School Partnership will provide a Family Weekend Meal Bag that will contain nutritious foods equal to 10 meals per household. Wawa will add customized display carts with reusable and insulated tote bags at 35 Fresh Market Schools for students to grab fresh produce as they head home. There are also plans to add 10 new Fresh Market sites at local schools.
Murphy USA
Murphy USA Inc., El Dorado, Arkansas, has raised $6 million for Boys & Girls Clubs of America since its Great Futures Fueled Here campaign launched in 2020. The customer round-up campaign, which takes place at all Murphy USA, Murphy Express and QuickChek sites across 27 states, supports Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s mission of enabling all young people to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens.
The campaign gives customers the opportunity to make a monetary contribution of $1, $3, $5 or $10, or round-up their purchases to the nearest dollar amount at checkout. The funds raised during the campaign benefit Boys & Girls Clubs in the same communities served by Murphy USA and QuickChek locations.
EG America
EG America LLC, Westborough, Massachusetts, raised $636,000 in its most recent fundraising campaign for the American Cancer Society.
Customers donated $1, $5 or an amount of their choosing during checkout when they visited any of EG America's more than 1700 stores nationally, including Cumberland Farms, Fastrac, Kwik Shop, Certified Oil, Turkey Hill, Loaf 'N Jug, Minit Mart, Quik Stop, Sprint Food Stores and Tom Thumb.
All proceeds from the fundraiser went toward the American Cancer Society's mission to offer life-saving programs, research, and services that will help patients and families impacted by cancer with the vision of ending cancer for everyone. This year's Fuel The Hope for Change campaign specifically focuses on essential advocacy, research and patient support programs.
Tri Star Energy
Tri Star Energy, the Nashville-based parent company of convenience-store brands Twice Daily and White Bison Coffee, Sudden Service, Southern Traders, Little General and Maverick Quick Shops presented a $1,500 check to Wiregrass Area Food Bank to celebrate the new Twice Daily location.
This celebration marks the brand’s expansion into the Dothan, Alabama, market.
Maverik
Maverik Inc., Salt Lake City, Utah, teamed up with Swire Coca-Cola and the National Park Foundation (NPF), the official nonprofit partner of the National Park Service, to help connect kids to meaningful learning experiences at America’s National Parks through a Round Up Your Change summer program from June 16 through July 31.
In honor of the launch of the campaign, Maverik made a $250,000 donation to NPF, while its vendor partner Swire donated another $25,000. The campaign invites customers and team members to join Maverik and Swire in supporting NPF by rounding up their transaction to the nearest dollar or more to help create access and exposure to park experiences through NPF’s Open OutDoors for Kids program.
Yesway
Yesway, Fort Worth, Texas, held a fundraising campaign and donated $100,000 to Matador, Perryton and Hawley, Texas, which were recently hit by tornadoes. Through July 31, Yesway and Allsup’s customers in Texas can make $1, $5, $10 or larger donations at checkout.
Perryton, a rural Texas Panhandle town of approximately 8,000 people was hit on June 15. Matador, a small town of 600 was nearly flattened on June 21 with at least four lives lost and dozens injured. A tornado in Hawley, an even smaller town of only 584, has had devastating effects on the community.
Cenex
Cenex, the energy brand of CHS Inc., Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota, and Perley Community Co-op have awarded Rural Enrichment and Counseling Headquarters (REACH) Inc. with a $25,000 Hometown Pride grant. REACH was nominated by Perley Community Co-op for its countless contributions to the Perley community and surrounding areas through the organization's programs designed to assist seniors, help locals find employment and combat food insecurity with its food pantries and school backpack programs.
Swisher
Swisher, a seller of tobacco and alternative products based in Jacksonville, Florida, contributed $500,000 to the Emerald Trail in Jacksonville, which will connect 14 historic urban neighborhoods to downtown, the St. Johns River, McCoys Creek and Hogans Creek. The donation, which is designated to the S-Line Rail Trail segment, represents the largest private contribution to the Emerald Trail to date.
The company also recently pledged to donate $1 million throughout 2023.
With a refreshed strategy led by Marisa Brighton, Swisher's senior director of community engagement, the 162-year-old company is placing a renewed emphasis on supporting community causes that tie directly to its core values and shared priorities with employees.
Swisher's philanthropic efforts will focus on four key areas, including supporting our nation's heroes and families, community health and wellbeing, community revitalization and higher education through strategic partnerships and programs.
McCane Foods
McCane Foods, Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois, a frozen potato and appetizer supplier, awarded $50,000 to chefs and charities as a result of the Epic Throwdown Live contest held at the 2023 National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago.
The winning chefs for each battle won $10,000, and each runner up won $2,500 to donate to the charity of their choice. The winners include...
- Global Appetizer: Chef Sarah Grueneberg (winner) vs. chef Jen Carroll (runner up)
- Entree: Chef Victor Jacinto (winner) vs. chef Maria Mazon (runner up)
- Comfort Food: Chef Spike Mendelsohn (winner) vs. chef Damarr Brown (runner up)
- Out-of-the-Box Appetizer: Chef Jen Carroll (winner) vs. chef Beau MacMillan (runner up)
A total of $50,000 was donated to charity...
- Southern Smoke Foundation, received $10,000; selected by chef Sarah Grueneberg
- The Vancouver Basketball Foundation, received $10,000; selected by chef Victor Jacinto
- World Fair Trade Organization, received $10,000; selected by chef Spike Mendelsohn
- Sisterly Love Collective, received $12,500; selected by chef Jen Carroll
- The Florence Project, received $2,500; selected by chef Maria Mazon
- Foundation for Culinary Arts, receiving $2,500; selected by chef Damarr Brown
- Robert Irvine Foundation, received $2,500; selected by chef Beau MacMillan