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
The Pantry, Inc.'s Kangaroo Express, with partnership support from Coca-Cola, raised more than $1 million for Victory Junction, funds that will send over 400 children ages six to 16 with chronic medical conditions or serious illnesses to summer camp. During its fourth annual fundraiser, Kangaroo Express collected donations throughout March at more than 700 stores in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia.

Victory Junction was founded in 2004 by Kyle and Pattie Petty in honor of their late son, Adam. The camp relies solely on donations from individuals and corporations like Kangaroo Express to give children a once in a lifetime camping experience. It costs $2,500 to send one child to camp for a week at no cost to his or her family.

With the funds raised during this campaign, Kangaroo Express will sponsor more than 400 children during two weeks of summer camp. Because of this donation, Victory Junction will aid children with neurological and genetic disorders, craniofacial anomalies, sickle cell, skin disease and pediatric burn survivors. The organization has also committed to the construction of a playground located at Myrtle Beach Speedway that will bolster awareness of Victory Junction's continued efforts in providing children diagnosed with chronic medical conditions a memorable and enriching summer camp experience.

Additional funds were raised through the sale of Mars candy at Kangaroo Express, including M&M's and Snickers. For every Mars candy sold through April 30, 2012, 10 cents went to support Victory Junction.

Kangaroo Express stores in Charleston, S.C., first began raising funds for Victory Junction in 2009 and have since expanded to three states. Support for credit card donations started in 2011, which helped to more than triple the total donations from the previous year.

Additionally, Kangaroo Express has pledged a continuing partnership mirroring its efforts of the 2012 campaign, and will be the supporting partner of Victory Junction's 10th Anniversary of Summer Camp in 2013.

Cumberland Farms
For the four weeks that began on June 20, Cumberland Farms will donate 20 cents from every Chill Zone beverage, iced tea, and coffee (iced or hot) purchased at its newly remodeled store at 180 W. Main Street in Dudley, Mass., to benefit local youth through the Boys & Girls Club of Webster-Dudley.

The goal of the Boys & Girls Club's summer program is to offer a variety of recreational, educational and cultural activities for children as well as to provide experiences that give opportunities for choice, individual achievement, development of self-confidence and fun. Cumberland Farms aims to raise at least $1,000 for the Boys & Girls Club.

This past year, Cumberland Farms donated more than $100,000 to support local organizations across the Northeast.

VPS Convenience Store Group
VPS Convenience Store Group, operator of the Scotchman Convenience Stores, hosted its 29th Annual Summer Swing Golf Tournament and Auction to benefit the Boy Scouts of America, Cape Fear Council, and raised more than $90,000.

To date, VPS has contributed more than $1.2 million to the Cape Fear Council Scouting program, which covers an eight-county area of southeastern North Carolina. All money raised from the annual event goes directly to the Boy Scouts to provide financial assistance for any Scout who needs help to participate in activities or attend summer camp. It also supports the Council's "Scoutreach" program to inner-city and rural areas of southeastern North Carolina.

This annual golf tournament has become the largest fundraising event in the history of the Cape Fear Council Boy Scout program. It has achieved national acclaim by the Boy Scout organization and has become a model for other Boy Scout groups throughout the southern United States.

TETCO
The 4th annual TETCO Dan Cook Memorial Classic raised $90,000 for SA Youth this June at San Antonio's La Cantera Resort. This was almost $5,000 more than what was raised at last year's golf tournament.

SA Youth is a nonprofit organization that keeps at-risk children and youth off the streets and in school, and offers young adults a second chance in life by providing them with an opportunity to earn a high school diploma or GED while receiving workforce training in construction, technology or the green jobs sector.

TETCO was the title sponsor of the tournament. Other sponsors included KENS5, Valero, San Antonio Express-News, Diageo Guinness, Coca-Cola, Blonde Creative, Red Bull, Mike's Hard Lemonade, Wright Distribution/Nestle Beverage, Generations Federal Credit Union, Nestle USA, Crown Imports, Pepsi, Miller, Bordens Dairy, Swedish Match and Pabst Brewing Company. Also, Snyder's Lance, Monster Energy, Hershey's, Miller of Denton and Swisher also sponsored the tournament.

Wawa Inc.
Wawa Inc., with the Board of Trustees of Northern Home For Children, hosted a groundbreaking celebration marking the beginning of construction to renovate Merrick Hall and to construct additional new permanent housing on Northern Home's six-acre campus in Philadelphia. Since 1853, Northern Home for Children has continually provided a safe haven for children and a safety net for children and families facing extraordinary challenges.

The renovated Merrick Hall Building will serve an expanded Generations Program, serving teenage mothers and their young children. If successful, the campaign will allow Northern Home to quadruple the number of mothers and babies it serves in its Generations Programs.

During the event, Northern Home recognized Wawa for helping to make the renovation possible by providing the lead commitment of $430,000.

Longtime Northern Home for Children supporters include rock star John Bon Jovi.

Hess Express
Hess Express stores across the New York region from Albany to Rochester and across the Southern Tier are supporting the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) by conducting the "Make a Muscle, Make a Difference" campaign through July 4th. Customers are making $1 decal donations in-stores.

The funds will also help send kids with these diseases to a one week camp later this summer.

This campaign started at the end of May, and so far, Hess Express has raised about $40,000 for the MDA. Some of the funds will also go to help pay for medical equipment, clinics, and support groups.

BP
Over the past 25 years, New York- and New Jersey-area BP station owners have provided more than $2.5 million in scholarships to more than 1,700 promising students. This year, 185 local BP station owners will present a BP Fueling Communities grant donation of $100,000 that will provide 50 students with college scholarships for the 2012-2013 academic school year.

Each 2012 scholarship recipient will receive $2,000 to be applied toward educational expenses for the upcoming academic year. Judges selected a diverse group of 50 New York and New Jersey students to receive scholarships based on personal statements, academic performance, extracurricular activities, work experience, individual goals and demonstrated financial need.

The BP Fueling Communities program provides grants to local organizations that are nominated by BP's Branded Marketers to support the communities in which they do business. The program gives back to local organizations that support education, youth, health, food and housing.