Community Service Spotlight
NATIONAL REPORT -- Giving back through community service efforts and charity donations is a positive force that keeps many retailers and suppliers of this industry moving ahead. On a regular basis, Convenience Store News will highlight these philanthropic efforts in this special section.
Here are the latest company spotlights:
Kangaroo Express
NASCAR legend Richard Petty will sign autographs at Kangaroo Express as part of a fundraiser for Victory Junction, a year-round camping environment for children ages six to 16 with chronic medical conditions or serious illnesses. The event is part of a five-week joint fundraiser from Kangaroo Express and Coca-Cola. Fans can help support the camp by donating $1 when checking out at Kangaroo Express stores in North and South Carolina and Virginia.
ConocoPhillips
ConocoPhillips and the USA Swimming Foundation will bring Olympic Gold Medalist swimmer, Cullen Jones, to Houston to raise awareness on the importance of learning to swim. The event, scheduled for March 7, marks the kickoff of the "2012 Make a Splash Tour with Cullen Jones" presented by ConocoPhillips. The six-city national water safety tour is designed to educate parents, kids and communities about the importance of learning to swim.
Jones will lead a youth rally with approximately 320 children at Buffalo Creek Elementary School. He will share his personal story about nearly drowning when he was five and discuss the impact the sport has had on his life, including his Olympic journey. Additionally, all first and second graders at Buffalo Creek Elementary will receive a full session of free swimming lessons at the Clay Road Family YMCA, courtesy of the USA Swimming Foundation and ConocoPhillips. The Houston tour stop will also include a semi-private swim lesson for several local kids at the YMCA.
ConocoPhillips has partnered with USA Swimming for 39 years.
VERC Enterprises
VERC Enterprises presented North Pembroke Elementary School in Pembroke, Mass., with a check for $500, a grant made possible through the ExxonMobil Educational Alliance Program. Funded by the ExxonMobil Corp., the program is designed to provide local retailers an opportunity to invest in the future of their communities through educational grants to neighborhood schools.
Tyson Foods
Tyson Foods and DeliAnytime are reaching out to consumers to enlist their support for Tyson's KNOW Hunger campaign, which is focused on creating awareness of the widespread problem of hunger in in every community across the country. The campaign provides support for programs that alleviate hunger on a local level and helps increase awareness.
From March 5 through April 9, consumers can help join the fight against hunger by "liking" DeliAnytime on Facebook and then selecting an area of the country they feel needs the most help. They can also see exactly how many of their fellow DeliAnytime fans have shown their support. Tyson is hoping to see as many as 10,000 new Facebook fans join this important fight against hunger.