Community Service Roundup, October 2020

CHICAGO — This month’s community service roundup features nine retailers and four suppliers.

Click through to see what charitable initiatives they started this month ...

Pilot Co., Knoxville, Tenn., launched a donation campaign with the St. Christopher Truckers Development and Relief Fund (SCF), a professional driver charity that helps truckers and their families when an illness or injury causes them to be out of work.

Pilot Flying J Travel Centers and participating One9 Fuel Network stores will be selling ribbons for $1 each in support of the organization. All proceeds will go toward SCF, Pilot Co. said.

Pilot Co. is also launching an in-store roundup-up fundraiser benefiting Wreaths Across America through the end of the year. The money raised will support the organization’s goal of placing more than 2.2 million wreaths in all 50 states to remember and honor fallen soldiers during the holidays. Pilot Co. will also offer all veterans one free breakfast combo from Nov. 9 to 15, valid at participating U.S. Pilot and Flying J Travel Centers.

Enmarket, Savannah, Ga., raised more than $320,000 for local charities in September through its Enrich Life Campaigns, The campaigns include a variety of projects from sponsoring the Savannah Golf Championship to in-store fundraisers to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

The Enmarket Charity Classic was held on Sept. 29 at The Landings Club- Deer Creek Course and raised $150,000, which was divided among the 200 Club of the Coastal Empire, Make-a-Wish Georgia and Second Harvest Food Bank.

Enmarket also raised money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society fundraiser through selling “Light the Night” paper icons for $1 to support the non-profit’s mission to support research and help patients and their families. This year the campaign brought in $170,000 for the charity. It has raised a total of $800,000 in the past eight years.  

Casey’s General Stores is supporting schools through a Cash for Classrooms grant program.

Grants will range from $1,000 to $50,000 and can be used for physical improvements, material needs, teacher support and community engagement initiatives, including projects that assist schools with changes caused by COVID-19, the Ankeny, Iowa-based chain said.

The deadline for grant applications is by Dec. 16, and Casey’s will award the grants in March. For more information, visit Casey’s website.

Love’s, Oklahoma City, Okla., raised more than $2.45 million through its annual fundraiser for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. The company has raised more than $33 million since 1999 for sick and injured children who live in communities where Love’s are located.

The campaign took place from Aug. 31 to Oct. 3, with the Round Up the Change efforts beginning even before then. Customers could round up their change or donate any amount at the register. They also donated through raffles.

Love’s is also donating 40 laptop computers to Crooked Oak High School in Oklahoma City. The donation coincides with the Employer Laptop Challenge from the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. The initiative helps schools that need additional computers to overcome challenges created by COVID-19.  

Haffner’s, owned by Lawrence, Ma.-based Energy North Group, held a donation drive to collect contributions from community members at select gas stations.

The Let’s Kick COVID campaign ran through July and August and took in nearly $10,000. Energy North group matched that contribution, so a total of $20,000 was given to Lawrence and Lowell General Hospitals.

“We are so grateful to all of the medical staff and personnel that have been working to fight COVID-19 on the front lines and keeping our communities as safe as possible,” said Jeff Black, owner and COO of Energy North Group. “With the help of many generous customers, we were able to contribute well-deserved donations to two area hospitals.”

CEFCO, owned by Temple, Texas-based Fikes Wholesale Inc., recently hosted its 19th Annual Hackers-R-US Charity Golf Tournament. The event raised more than $250,000 for The Fikes Foundation, which will go toward scholarships and grants to various charitable organizations.

Parker’s, Savannah, raised $137,000 to support education and health care in coastal Georgia and South Carolina at its 8th Annual Parker’s Fueling the Community Golf Tournament. All proceeds will benefit local communities where Parker’s operates.

The tournament had 144 registered golfers, including vendors, suppliers and other supporters.

The Parker’s Fueling the Community charitable initiative was launched in 2011 and distributes more than $200,000 annually to public and private schools throughout Georgia and South Carolina. Through the program, Parker’s donates 1 cent from the sale of every gallon of gas sold on the first Wednesday of each month at all locations to the schools. The money raised by the golf tournament will supplement the 1-cent Wednesday donations.

Kum & Go, the Colorado Corn Administrative Committee and the American Lung Association have teamed up to encourage the use of E15 gasoline as a safe, sustainable alternative fuel for cars.

The initiative aims to increase awareness and sales of E15 or e-blend gasoline, a cleaner-burning, higher ethanol gasoline made with American-grown field corn, according to the committee. E15 is safe for all modern gasoline engines and has proven to drastically cut greenhouse gas emissions, making the air safer and lowering the risk of pollution-related health issues, the committee said.

"When you choose E15, you support clean, home-grown energy that benefits America's farmers and fuels our local economy. It's a win-win-win for drivers, farm families, the environment and the economy,” said Nick Colglazier, executive director of the Colorado Corn Administrative Committee.

Customers can help by looking for the blue hose at their next fuel stop and filling up with E15.

Rutter's, York, Pa., gave the Junior Achievement of South Central PA a $25,000 donation to benefit their local education program, JA BizTown, which Rutter’s helped start in 2007. Rutter’s has sponsored the Junior Achievement program over the past 15 years, donating more than $350,000 throughout that time.

The program allows fifth- and sixth-grade students operate a bank, manage a restaurant, write checks and vote for the mayor, helping connect what they learn in school with the real world, according to Rutter’s.

Constellation Brands, Victor, N.Y., gave more than $100,000 in support to organizations providing aid to people impacted by the California wildfires. The donations were made to the American Red Cross, Napa Valley Community Foundation and Sonoma County Resilience Fund.

Constellation’s wine brands also participated. The Prisoner Wine Co., SIMI, Robert Mondavi Winery, Mount Veeder Winery, Meiomi and Empathy Wines engaged consumers everywhere to join the relief efforts.

Constellation is also offering a two-to-one match for all employee donations made to the above-mentioned organizations through October.

"Our company and team members have been part of the fabric of the Napa County and Sonoma County communities for many years," said Robert Hanson, president of wine and spirits at Constellation Brands. "We are heartened by the incredible resilience, courage and teamwork shown by many members of our communities as we collectively navigate through increasingly challenging and uncertain times. Working together with our neighbors, we are committed to recovering, rebuilding and re-emerging stronger.”

Talking Rain Beverage Co., the maker of Sparkling Ice, launched a 2020 Sparkling Ice Holiday Giving and sharing program. Customers can give back to four charities when they purchase any two 12-packs of Sparkling Ice.

Through Dec. 15, customers with qualifying purchases can register and upload their receipts to the Sparkling Ice rewards website, choose one of the four pre-selected charities and then Sparkling Ice will donate $1 to the charity the customer chooses.

The Seattle, Wash.-based brand is aiming to donate $25,000 per charity this holiday season. Those charities are JDRP (formerly known as Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation,) National CARES Mentoring Movement, Together We Rise and A Small Act of Kindness.

Karma Water, a naturally enhanced flavored water that uses a patented technology to store key active ingredients until seconds before consumption, is partnering with Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (BBBSA). The Rochester, N.Y.-based company will support BBBSA’s one-to-one mentorship programs.

“We appreciate the support from Karma Water, and their commitment to ‘do good’ in the community,” said Pam Iorio, president and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. “Our Bigs are also committed to ‘doing good’ by igniting the potential of our nation’s youth. Our mentoring program hasn’t stopped; despite the pandemic and other challenges our country is facing today, our Bigs have found ways to stay connected with their Littles—virtually. Their dedication shows that Bigs will be there for their Littles—now, and long after this crisis ends.”

PepsiCo, Purchase, N.Y., made a commitment to help empower the Hispanic American community. The beverage company is taking steps to meet their unique needs.

Specific goals include a focus on increasing Hispanic middle management representation at PepsiCo, building a network of resilient Hispanic-owned companies and providing access to higher education to unlock opportunity for Hispanics across America.

PepsiCo is launching $172 million in initiatives over the next five years in addition to its 2020 target of spending $275 million with Hispanic suppliers.

Want to share your company's charitable doings? Email a description and photo to CSP Associate Editor Hannah Prokop at hprokop@winsightmedia.com.