Dan Rossi, executive director of United Cerebral Palsy in Arizona, attributed the increase to an effort to make Circle K employees more aware of the organization and to consumers who are "contributing their change because they are no longer able to write $100 checks," he [image-nocss] told the newspaper.
More than 80% of the money was raised through small donations put into canisters that sit on the checkout counters at all Circle K stores, said the report. The remainder was raised by two Circle K-sponsored golf tournaments, it added.
Circle K has been affiliated with United Cerebral Palsy for 25 years and is the organization's largest corporate sponsor.Circle K is owned by Laval, Quebec-based Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc., which operates a network of 5,904 c-stores, 4,128 of which include motor fuel dispensing, located in 11 large geographic markets, including eight in the United States covering 43 states and the District of Columbia, and three in Canada covering all 10 provinces.Separately, Reay's Ranch Stores recently raised more than $141,000 for the Arizona's Children Association in Southern Arizona, the Star reported.
In January 2009, the employees of Reay's Ranch Investors' Super Stop and Minit Market convenience stores and Gordon's IGA Markets in Southern Arizona challenged themselves to raise $100,000.
"First, they sold $1 placards at their stores, which raised $53,217," Rich Couch, general manager of Reay's Ranch Investors, said in a press release cited by the paper. "Next was the first annual Reay's Ranch Golf Tournament at The Preserve Golf Club at SaddleBrooke, which raised $37,000."
With only $10,000 left to reach its goal, the Reay's Ranch Investors team placed canisters in their Super Stop, Minit Market and Gordon's IGA stores for three weekends and asked customers to donate change. The stores raised $33,742.
More than 72% of the employees signed up for weekly donations and raised $17,674, said the report.
Also, as an expression of good will, the owners of a new Shell station and convenience store in Evanston, Ill., Minhaz and Dilshad Lakhani, recently contributed $2,500 each to the struggling local police and fire pension funds, reported The Evanston Review.
"We rarely get private donations," said Timothy Schoolmaster, longtime president of the Evanston Police Pension Board of Trustees.
As is their custom, the Lakhanis made the $5,000 gift to the community timed to the opening of the business, a 17-position facility that soon will include Dunkin Donuts and Subway shops.
And in December, Valero Energy Corp. donated $1.5 million to Children's Miracle Network hospitals nationwide, a 13% increase over the previous year, with the help of its customers and employees, said The San Antonio Business Journal.
Through this annual campaign, store clerks ask customers to buy Children's Miracle Network paper balloons in support of children's hospitals. The campaign takes place each year in October and November. San Antonio, Texas-based Valero operates a network of 1,000 Corner Stores across eight states.Also, Love's Travel Stops & Country Stores announced a 7% fundraising increase for 2009 over 2008 for Children's Miracle Network, with a total of $765,290. Each fall, Love's invites its customers to raise funds for CMN through in-store purchases of heart icons each valued at $1, $5 or $25. Love's raised additional funds by holding bake sales, pumping gas for tips, conducting in-store drawings and coordinating other fundraising events.
Love's has been a partner of Children's Miracle Network since 1998, raising funds for children's hospitals through various fundraising campaigns. Love's and its customers have raised more than $3 million to help sick and injured children in the communities where it operates.
The Oklahoma City-based chain has more than 200 locations in more than 30 states.
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