Wawa and The Wawa Foundation brought back the Wawa Community Care Vehicle for another year with visits to more than 20 events this winter and spring. The vehicle supports local partners with food and hot beverage donations.
The vehicle’s year began with stops at annual polar plunges that support Special Olympics, and Wawa served more than 10,000 hot beverages at events in Delaware, Florida, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Virginia.
“At Wawa, we believe in being a positive force for good in every community where we live and work—not just with donations, but with heartfelt actions and interactions that help bring out the best in everyone,” said Liz Simeone, senior manager of Wawa Community Care and The Wawa Foundation. “Our Community Care Vehicle is one way we connect with and amplify the efforts of those serving others in our communities. We wish all the polar plungers luck and hope our hot beverages help warm you up as you take a dip in those frigid waters to support the amazing athletes of Special Olympics.”
Wawa’s Community Care Vehicle serves an estimated 50,000 hot beverages at events throughout the year. National charity partners of The Wawa Foundation include JDRF, Special Olympics, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, the USO and the American Red Cross. Meanwhile, Wawa teamed up with QuikTrip before the Super Bowl for some friendly competition by showing support for their hometown teams while making a positive impact in the community.
QuikTrip, which has a large store presence in the Kansas City area, backed the Chiefs, while Pennsylvania-based Wawa rooted for the Eagles. Following the game, Wawa donated $10,000 to Synergy Services, one of the only shelters for runaway and homeless youth in western Missouri.
“Our thanks to Wawa for partnering with us to turn our good-natured rivalry into a win-win for our very deserving local charity partners,” said Aisha Jefferson-Smith, QuikTrip corporate communications manager. “Our partnership with Synergy Services and our national Safe Place locations provide our community’s most vulnerable youth with a safe environment when they need it most.”
In The Community
Every year, the convenience and fuel retailing industry dedicates billions of dollars to advancing the futures of individuals and families in our communities. The NACS Foundation unifies and builds on NACS members’ charitable efforts to amplify their work in communities across America, and to share these powerful stories.
Learn more at www.conveniencecares.org.
SHARE THE LOVE
Love’s Travel Stops celebrated the 10th year of its annual Share the Love event by donating $110,000 to nonprofit organizations across the U.S. on behalf of its more than 39,000 employees. Additionally, 300 Love’s employees in Oklahoma City, and 40 Trillium Energy and Musket employees in Houston, spent Valentine’s Day volunteering at organizations where their corporate offices are located. Team members at Love’s Travel Stop locations also had the chance to participate in the event by voting on an organization in their division to receive $10,000.
SUICIDE PREVENTION
The GATE Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Jacksonville, Florida-based GATE Petroleum Company, and GATE customers raised $50,000 for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). Funds were collected July 1 through December 31, 2022, in coin boxes at the registers of all GATE locations in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. Funding will be allocated to AFSP chapters in the state where collected.
ALTA SUPPORTS MAKE-A-WISH
Alta Convenience stores and sister company Petro Marts have raised over $300,000 for Make-A-Wish. CF Altitude LLC, the parent company of both brands, has locations in Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico and Wyoming, and the funds raised in each state will go directly to that state’s Make-A-Wish chapter.
PILOT CO. SPOTLIGHTS HEART HEALTH
Pilot Company launched its annual round-up drive to support the American Heart Association’s Life is Why cause campaign to encourage heart health. Customers donated at participating Pilot, Flying J or One9 Fuel Network travel centers during February. Pilot also promoted heart health and safety among its 30,000 employees by providing virtual, hands-only CPR training, resources to find nearby CPR classes, virtual cooking classes and other health and wellness tips.
EG AMERICA SUPPORTS AMERICAN RED CROSS
To help the American Red Cross in its efforts to assist those in need and to commemorate Red Cross Month in March and its generous volunteers, EG America held a fundraiser with a goal of raising $150,000. During March, guests had the opportunity to donate $1, $5 or an amount of their choosing to the Red Cross during checkout. All proceeds will go toward supporting the urgent needs of the Red Cross’s humanitarian mission to alleviate human suffering in the face of emergencies. This U.S. fundraiser was part of EG Group’s global participation to support the Red Cross.