Get Ready for 24/7 Day

The NACS Foundation is ramping up for another successful 24/7 Day! Industry retailers and suppliers can help us celebrate our industry’s 24/7 commitment to the communities we serve on July 24.

Now in its fourth year, 24/7 Day unites convenience stores across America to recognize first responders, medical personnel and American Red Cross volunteers who work around the clock—24/7—to serve our communities and make sure people don’t face emergencies alone.

Since the inaugural 24/7 Day celebration in 2019, industry participation has grown 1,033%. In 2021, 34 convenience retail companies participated in 24/7 Day at more than 30,000 store locations across the United States.

“It’s our goal in every community to be the best neighbor we can be,” said Nicholas Ruffner, public relations manager for Sheetz, a 2021 24/7 Day Community Leader Sponsor. “We’ve developed a strong relationship with those who keep us safe, and we wanted to honor their service on July 24,” he said.

The annual event helps raise awareness and donations for the urgent humanitarian needs of the American Red Cross and spotlights our industry’s important role in supporting local heroes and the communities we serve.

“These front-line workers and first responders are our neighbors, friends and customers,” noted Corey Cuvelier, convenience retailing manager for the U.S. at Shell, a 2021 24/7 Day Community Advocate Sponsor. “Our participation in 24/7 Day recognizes their sacrifices and is one way we can express our sincere appreciation for their work in keeping our communities safe and secure,” he said.

There is no entry cost to retailers to join 24/7 Day, and specific campaigns can be created based on retailer needs and goals, making the program very flexible.

To find out how your company can participate in this year’s 24/7 Day, visit www.247day.org, or contact Stephanie Sikorski, NACS vice president of marketing and executive director of the NACS Foundation, at [email protected].

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.

MAVERIK AIDS UKRAINE

Salt Lake City, Utah-based Maverik initiated a “Round Up Your Change” register donation campaign March 28-April 28 to help people affected by the Ukraine crisis. Maverik also made a $50,000 contribution to the Red Cross.

“We’re terribly saddened by the events in Ukraine,” said Chuck Maggelet, Maverik’s president and chief adventure guide. “Our hearts and minds are with everyone impacted by this conflict. Our customers and team members have expressed they also want to help and we’re grateful to be able to activate this donation program allowing everyone to respond.”

Customers could visit their local Maverik to “Round Up.” Cash or credit donations up to 99 cents per transaction were accepted at Maverik stores across 12 states, and anyone interested in donating $10 or more could do so online.

DANDY HELPS VETERANS

Dandy partnered with the Bradford County Veterans Affairs Department in Pennsylvania to raise awareness for the county’s Mobile Veterans Resource Center (MVRC) vehicle. The MVRC was stationed at multiple Dandy stores in late March and April, where local veterans could learn about the services available and apply for benefits and compensation.

“[W]e couldn’t be happier with the partnership. We proudly support our veteran employees and customers, so taking the opportunity to use Dandy’s presence in Bradford County to help more veterans acquire services and benefits is important to us,” said Bill Bustin, Dandy’s marketing director.

Meanwhile, Dandy’s 2021 Dandy Canes community fundraising campaign raised $90,303 across the chain’s 67 locations, which is a record for the c-store.

HY-VEE SUPPORTS MILITARY FAMILIES

Hy-Vee locations have raised over $156,000 for Hope For The Warriors, a nonprofit that helps veterans, service members and military families. With this recent donation, Hy-Vee has raised over $1 million for the organization.

The Hy-Vee Homefront Round Up program allowed customers to round up their transactions to the nearest dollar—or any amount—with the proceeds going to support designated Hy-Vee Homefront organizations like Hope For The Warriors.

“Hy-Vee has been a strong advocate for veterans and military for nearly 20 years,” said Brad Waller, assistant vice president of community relations at Hy-Vee. “We launched the Homefront initiative in 2013 as a way to provide financial support to Hope For The Warriors and other veteran organizations. Together with our customers, we want to make sure our country’s heroes know how much we honor and support them.”

PILOT RAISES $1.7 MILLION

Pilot Company customers and employees teamed up to raise $1,773,232 for the American Heart Association’s “Life Is Why” campaign in February. It was the largest donation in the company’s six-year history of supporting the American Heart Association, reaching a total donation of more than $6.8 million.

“What an incredible turnout we had from guests and team members donating at our stores during American Heart Month,” said Brian Ferguson, chief merchant at Pilot Company. “On behalf of our entire team, thank you to everyone who participated and helped make this the best year yet. It’s an honor to continue supporting great organizations like the American Heart Association.”

RUTTER’S BACKS YOUTH SPORTS

Rutter’s, through its Rutter’s Children’s Charities, donated $50,000 to local sports leagues and teams. The charity selected 100 youth sports leagues and teams to receive $500 for use toward uniforms, equipment, travel expenses and other needs.

“We’re excited to help encourage kids and young adults to go out and be active this year through sports,” said Chris Hartman, president of Rutter’s Children’s Charities. “After a couple difficult years, due to the pandemic, we thought this would be a great way to support our local community and youth sports teams. We can’t wait to see the results!”

Social Shares: NACS encourages retailers to share their giving-back news on social media using #ConvenienceCares.