Earlier this year, Dash In, a convenience banner operated by the Wills Group, opened a new store in Indian Head, Maryland. The location builds on Dash In’s first-generation concept store that opened in 2023 in Virginia, with a reimagined layout, enhanced foodservice and a brand-new visual identity.
Aside from offering Dash In fuel and a new Splash In car wash, the 4,800-square-foot store serves as a flagship foodservice offer in an underserved community.
The Wills Group also partnered with Oasis Fresh Food Market to help bring fresh grocery items to Indian Head. Oasis Fresh Food Market is set to open later this year and will be the first grocery store within the town limits of Indian Head in 25 years.
Oasis Fresh Foods Market’s vision is to create access to fresh food while giving the community a gathering space and creating jobs with livable wages. To help support the initiative, the Wills Group invested more than $50,000 to support the development and the building of a community garden. This initiative furthers Dash In’s community engagement signature programs—Nourishing Children and Families and Reimagining Outdoor Spaces.
Rayma Alexander, director of corporate communications and diversity, equity and inclusion, said, “The community garden is a cornerstone of this project. It’s about transforming neglected spaces into vibrant, productive areas where people can grow their own food and come together outdoors for community events.”
The Wills Group won’t just be investing money in the community garden—its team will also be hands-on with its creation. Dash In and Wills Group employees will be volunteering to build garden beds, plant seeds, landscape and harvest crops.
While the market is set to open later this year, the community garden is currently projected to open later in 2025.
Alexander noted that as Dash In continues to open stores in the area, it will be open to exploring further opportunities with Oasis Fresh Food Market: “We see our sites and Oasis Foods Market as partners and as part of a bigger picture. Together, we’re working to find innovative solutions to meet the community’s needs.”
In The Community
Every year, the convenience retail 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.
Yesway Supports Local Communities After Wildfires
Yesway donated $100,000 to the New Mexico areas in and around Ruisoso that were tragically impact by catastrophic wildfires over the summer. As reported by the Las Cruces Sun News, the South Fork Fire, which started on June 17 inside the Lincoln National Forest and on Mescalero Apache Tribal lands, and the Salt Fire, which burned in southern New Mexico, consumed nearly 23,000 acres within a day.
Yesway and Allsup’s invited its customers, fans, friends and supplier partners to join the effort and donate as well. Through the roundup campaign, the company reached its goal of $200,000 for the affected communities.
Cubby’s Teams Up With The Salvation Army
Cubby’s once again partnered with The Salvation Army 7 Can Help Kids Back to School Backpack Program. Customers were invited to drop off unused school supplies and new backpacks to participating Cubby’s locations or contribute to the cause through monetary donations. The backpacks were distributed in August.
Since the program started in 1998, more than 240,000 backpacks have been donated and given to a local child.
Little General Stores Raises Money for Cancer
Little General Stores hosted a fundraiser to raise money for cancer care in West Virginia. The event, an “Evening with Bob Huggins” (college basketball hall of fame coach), raised $100,000 at the reception and dinner. The Norma Mae Huggins Cancer Endowment Fund was established by Coach Huggins in his mother’s name to support cancer care and research across West Virginia.
Additionally, Little General Stores helped raise funds for WVU Medicine Children’s Hospital at annual legends weekend. Over $24,000 was raised at the golf tournament’s kickoff event. Along with team members who attended, the company donated tumblers that were gifted to all golf participants.
TA Offers Veterans and Active Military July Fourth Deal
TravelCenters of America gave a complimentary meal to active-duty military, veterans and reservists on the Fourth of July at participating TA, Petro and TA Express restaurants nationwide. The company also set up Fallen Soldier Tables at some restaurants. The display, which included a single place setting at an empty table, was meant to demonstrate “the sacrifices of those who gave their lives to protect our freedom.”
Stewart’s Shops Hosts 9th Annual Give a Pint, Get a Pint
For the ninth year in a row, Stewart’s Shops teamed up with the American Red Cross of Eastern New York for a blood drive in June. The Give a Pint, Get a Pint event rewarded blood donors with a gift certificate for a pint of Stewart’s ice cream or gelato in thanks for their donation.
The event attracted 812 first-time donors and collected enough blood donations to help nearly 27,600 patients.