Many convenience stores never lock their doors, remaining open for business 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. For first responders and others who have shift work, convenience stores are a lifeline. “There can be some negativity connected to convenience stores that are open around the clock, and we wanted to highlight the positive aspects of never closing,” said Stephanie Sikorski, director of the NACS Foundation. “Because we’re open 24/7, we’re able to serve our communities and first responders when other retailers can’t.”

To highlight that, the NACS Foundation, along with participating convenience industry partners in support of the American Red Cross, launched 24/7 Day to promote one national day to honor first responders, fire and police, EMTs, doctors and nurses, military and disaster relief volunteers who work around the clock to support communities when disasters happen.

The NACS Foundation launched 24/7 Day to honor first responders, fire and police, EMTs, doctors and nurses, military and disaster relief volunteers who work around the clock.

“Convenience stores and the American Red Cross share a unique community presence—serving people nationwide, every day, 24/7,” said Amanda Lepof, executive director of corporate fundraising for the American Red Cross. “Support from 24/7 Day helped raise awareness of the importance of preparedness, the Red Cross mission and the tireless work of first responders and our volunteers.”

In June 2017, NACS became the first retail-focused association to partner with the American Red Cross, which enables both organizations to develop resources that facilitate donation collection by convenience store companies, as well as encourage volunteer assistance programs for the Red Cross around specific local or national events. Convenience stores have long supported Red Cross efforts, and this partnership helps to build more bridges between local and national retailers and Red Cross chapters.

“Convenience stores go the extra mile to support our local disaster operations,” Lepof said. “When we’re in search of fuel during a disaster operation, convenience stores are the first open and the last to close. They also donate emergency food and beverages, and sometimes provide our volunteers with free coffee to ensure they are taken care of to continue supporting people impacted by disasters.”

Come Together

The first annual event created by the NACS Foundation, the 501(c)3 nonprofit arm of the convenience and fuel retail industry association, 24/7 Day shows how the industry helps its communities, including first responders. “Convenience is all about being there when we’re needed most,” said Sikorski. “Disasters affect every one of the communities the convenience industry serves 24/7 and, in times of need, are often the only ones that remain open in a crisis for water, food, fuel and ATMs.”

Leading retailers RaceTrac, Sheetz and Wawa joined 24/7 Day in celebrating local heroes, inspiring volunteerism and raising awareness for first response and disaster relief efforts. “We knew many retailers already had programs in place that honored first responders, so we saw an opportunity to unite those efforts with a concentrated effort to increase our industry's impact in the neighborhoods across the country this year, and we are thrilled with the response from our retailers during the first year of this program,” Sikorski said. “Our NACS Foundation brand is still growing, so we’re looking forward to expanding 24/7 Day next year with more retailer and supplier partners.”

Here’s how these three retailers celebrated 24/7 Day in their communities.

Sheetz: Community Commitment

Sheetz came on board as a “community leader” sponsor and used 24/7 Day “to show respect and gratitude to first responders and local heroes who work around the clock to support our communities,” said Nick Ruffner, public relations manager at Sheetz. The company honored EMTs, firefighters, paramedics and police officers in uniform with a free small cup of coffee or fountain drink.

“The community response was overwhelming,” Ruffner said. “Not only did local heroes across our footprint visit Sheetz on 24/7 Day, but more importantly, our employees had the opportunity to show their gratitude in person, thanking first responders who serve right in their hometown.”

For Sheetz, honoring first responders happens throughout the year, such as providing free lunches and car washes to all active military and veterans on Veteran’s Day, and providing complimentary beverages to service men and women during weather events or local emergencies. “We are deeply grateful to all first responders, service members and local heroes who selflessly work to keep our communities safe,” Ruffner said.

RaceTrac: Daily Celebration

At RaceTrac, first responders always receive recognition. “We honor first responders in uniform year-round by offering them free coffee and fountain drinks while on duty,” said Terrica Bailey, senior manager of marketing partnerships and projects for RaceTrac. “As a business that’s open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, participating in the inaugural 24/7 Day was a natural fit.”

On 24/7 Day, all of RaceTrac’s more than 525 locations across Texas, Louisiana, Georgia and Florida recognized paramedics, EMTs, police officers and firefighters in uniform with a free small cup of coffee or fountain drink. “We shared this on our social channels and on digital signage in our stores to ensure we were able to celebrate as many first responders in our communities as possible,” Bailey said. “We also worked with some of our radio partners to share the news throughout the day.”

The communities served by RaceTrac responded positively to the chain’s participation on 24/7 Day. “Our customers demonstrated their appreciation for 24/7 Day by thanking our general managers and store teams, and by praising the effort on social media,” Bailey said.

Wawa: Year-Round Support

For Wawa, participating in the NACS Foundation’s  24/7 Day was a natural extension of its year-round efforts to support local police and fire, and the American Red Cross. “As a company that operates 24/7 and prides itself on convenience, Wawa was delighted to participate in the inaugural campaign that brought awareness and appreciation for the first responders who work around the clock to support our communities,” said Jennifer Wolf, external public relations supervisor for Wawa.

Convenience stores go the extra mile to support our local disaster operations.

Wawa engages these everyday heroes in grand opening celebrations through its signature “Hoagies for Heroes” hoagie-building competition. Proceeds from the events benefited charities selected by participating first responders. “We also took this as an opportunity to thank Red Cross volunteers who do so much to support local disaster relief efforts in our community,” Wolf said. The company catered a lunch for those volunteers that included check presentations from earlier, in-store campaign results, as well as a direct grant from the Wawa Foundation to local Sound the Alarm initiatives (which install free smoke alarms in at-risk communities).

“Serving everyday heroes is part of our DNA and always has been,” Wolf said. “We will continue our commitment to supporting first responders and the Red Cross through ongoing programs.”

Moving Forward

While July 24 has come and gone, the NACS Foundation wants to continue to build on the goodwill and support that started with this program. “We know that our retailers honor our first responders on a daily basis, but we wanted to have one day to come together across the country to emphasize and amplify our collective efforts and bring about real, measurable change in the places we live and work,” Sikorski said. “We hope to continue raising awareness and support for the Red Cross, and to bring more opportunities for our retailers to give back to their communities both during and after disasters.”

The NACS Foundation, which has been recognizing and supporting emerging convenience industry talent for nearly 30 years, will launch additional programs in 2020 under its five critical focus areas of Response Relief, Neighborhood Nourish, Future Fund, Tomorrow Thrives and Community Cleanup. The Foundation is working with convenience industry partners to provide support under each program. “Many of our retailers and suppliers already do amazing things in disaster and hunger relief efforts, but the message wasn’t getting out to their communities,” Sikorski said. “With the Foundation, we now have a single source to elevate our industry's reach and project those stories of impact out to a broader audience.”

To the Red Cross, events like 24/7 Day do more than bring awareness to first responders—they also help to remind the community of how convenience stores do more than sell fuel and food. “Many times, it is between dusk and dawn when Red Cross volunteers respond to home fires or end a shift at a shelter,” Lepof said. “Convenience stores are there to welcome them and also to provide and distribute critical supplies alongside the Red Cross in disaster-torn communities.”

Take It From Me …

David Morgan, Circle K’s vice president of operations Florida, oversees the company’s work in central and southern Florida, including nearly 530 stores and 5,500 employees. Circle K Florida has raised more than $12 million over the past six years for the American Red Cross. Morgan shares his organization’s experience partnering with the Red Cross and the impact it has made in the community.

“For several years, the American Red Cross has been incredibly important to the Florida Business Unit,” said Morgan. “The Red Cross has been there to support our employees, our customers and the communities where we live and work. We take great pride in our partnership.”

Why did you choose the Red Cross as your partner?
When we were looking for a cause marketing partner, one of our key objectives was to support a charity that really impacts our local communities and employees. A portion of the dollars raised through our customers and fundraising activities supports Red Cross activities in Florida.

How does Circle K implement its unique rotation of materials in-store?
We have ongoing promotional materials at each of our registers that support a timely Red Cross initiative. We work together with our Red Cross team to determine what we should be featuring in our two-month cycles. Some key initiatives have been fire safety, hurricane preparedness and military assistance programs.

How has your partnership with the Red Cross impacted your business and/or employees?
Hurricanes and home fires are probably the two ways that the Red Cross can and has actively supported our employees. Several of our employees’ homes have been destroyed by fires, and the Red Cross has been there to help them find a place to stay, supply them with immediate funding for food and clothing, and as they often say, just give them a warm hug to let them know that there is someone who cares about what they are going through.

What positive impacts have you experienced?
For several years, along with local fire departments and the Red Cross, our employees have volunteered to install new smoke alarms in homes around the state. It’s a great way to give back and potentially save the lives of the people who live in our neighborhoods.

To learn more about how to connect with the Red Cross in your community, please visit www.convenience.org/redcross or email [email protected].