Convenience retailer contributes $500,000 to Florida Disaster Fund and launches in-store fundraising in all 1,070 stores with The Wawa Foundation matching the first $100,000 in Customer Donations
WAWA, Pa., Oct. 11, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Wawa, Inc., and The Wawa Foundation today announced the launch of a chain-wide, in-store crisis campaign designed to provide emergency relief assistance to those communities most affected by Hurricane Milton. The campaign is being held in partnership with the American Red Cross and allows customers to contribute to Hurricane Milton relief by adding $1, $3, or $5 to their Wawa purchase at checkout. The Wawa Foundation will be matching the first $100,000 in customer contributions to the campaign.
The campaign will launch on Friday, October 11, in all of Wawa’s 1,070 stores. All donations made through The Wawa Foundation’s campaign will be donated to the Red Cross and will be designated specifically for Hurricane Milton relief efforts. These funds will be used to help the American Red Cross provide immediate and vital support to those communities suffering from the effects of Hurricane Milton. In addition to in-store fundraising, customers can make a donation to American Red Cross Hurricane Milton Relief online at: https://www.redcross.org/donate/cm/wawafoundation-pub.html/.
In addition to launching two fundraising opportunities, Wawa is proud to donate $500,000 to the Florida Disaster Fund to support the state of Florida’s private fund established to provide financial assistance to communities as they respond to and recover from times of emergency or disaster.
“All of us at Wawa are committed to helping our Florida friends and neighbors during this time of need. Wawa has been in Florida for more than ten years now and, as a member of this community, we are taking a number of steps to help with storm recovery efforts,” said Chris Gheysens, Wawa’s CEO.
“The Wawa Foundation has always had a strong commitment to providing crisis response and assisting those in need, and we’ve been partnering with the American Red Cross in these kinds of efforts for decades. We are proud to fundraise for the Red Cross and match customer donations up to $100,000 to show our dedication to, and support for, this critical need,” said Liz Simeone, President of The Wawa Foundation.
“As the American Red Cross responds to another catastrophic hurricane, we are thankful for companies like Wawa who are standing with us to support families and communities in need,” said Anne McKeough, chief development officer at the American Red Cross. “Thank you to Wawa for helping provide comfort and hope to those facing adversity in the wake of Hurricane Milton.”
“We are deeply grateful to Wawa for their generous $500,000 donation to support the recovery efforts in the aftermath of Hurricanes Helene and Milton,” said CEO of Volunteer Florida Josie Tamayo. “This significant contribution will provide much needed relief to the impacted communities and help them rebuild stronger and more resilient.”
About The Wawa Foundation
The Wawa Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded by Wawa, Inc. to support the company’s charitable giving and philanthropic activities, and ultimately to help build stronger communities. The Wawa Foundation focuses its support on organizations committed to health, hunger and everyday heroes through local, state and national grants and/or in-store fundraising, such as donation boxes and point-of-purchase scan materials.
CONTACT: public.relations@wawa.com
