U.S. C-Stores Celebrate First Responders on 24/7 Day
On Monday, July 24, also known as 24/7 Day, the U.S. convenience store industry will once again celebrate the local heroes within its communities. 24/7 Day recognizes and gives back to first responders, medical personnel, 9-1-1 professionals and Red Cross volunteers who work around the clock to ensure people don’t face emergencies alone.
Hosted by the NACS Foundation, this year’s event gives a “High 5 for Heroes” in the form of an offer (such as a free coffee or free breakfast sandwich) to thank first responders with a token of gratitude from one of their largest supporters — the convenience store industry. The event will also raise awareness and donations for the American Red Cross.
“Just like first responders, convenience stores and their workers provide essential services, while also acting as a reliable and safe hub for members of their community to connect, socialize and share,” said Stephanie Sikorski, executive director of the NACS Foundation. “So much of the work that both first responders and convenience store workers do is not seen by the public. This celebration was created to shine a bright light on their service, showing them that we see how much they do and saluting them for their incredible efforts.”
This is an event all first responders can take part in as 93 percent of Americans live within just 10 minutes of a convenience store, including 86 percent of rural Americans. This year, Anheuser-Busch, with the support of its brands Budweiser and Bud Light, is also joining as a key supplier partner. From July 1 through Aug. 31, Anheuser-Busch will donate for every Budweiser and Bud Light case sold to Folds of Honor. A partner of Anheuser-Busch for 13 years, Folds of Honor recently extended its scholarship program to include the families of America’s first responders including police, fire, EMTs and paramedics.
Convenience stores are an integral part of everyday life across the United States. There are more than 150,000-plus convenience stores and they conduct 160 million transactions a day across every community in the country.
This year, more than 30,000 convenience stores are participating in the 24/7 Day celebration including: 1 Stop, 7-Eleven (limited areas) and DK, Admiral, Allsup’s, Apple Market, Au Energy, LLC – Loop Neighborhood Stores, Bread & Butter Shop, BreadBox, Casey’s, Certified Oil, CFCA, Corner Mart, Cumberland Farms, Dixie Mart, Enmarket, Express Stop, ExtraMile, E-Z Mart, Fas mart, fastmarket, Fastrac, Flash Market, Garrett’s Family Market and Rapid Refill Convenience Stores, G&M Food Mart, Handy Mart, High’s, Jaco Oil – Fastrip, JBDewar Inc – Pride Pacific, Jetz, Jiffi Stop, Jiffy Stop Food Marts, Kum and Go, KwikShop, Lemmen, Li’l Cricket, Loaf N’ Jug, Loop Neighborhood Markets, Market Express, Minit Mart (limited areas), Next Door Store, OnCue (limited areas), Pride, Quarles, Quik Stop, R Store, RaceTrac, Roadrunner Markets, Rose Mart, Rutter’s, Scotchman, Sheetz, shore stop, Sprint, St. Romain Oil Co./Y-Not Stop, The Convenience Group, The Hub Convenience Stores, The Markets of Tiger Fuel Company, Tom Thumb, Town Star, TXB, Turkey Hill, Uncle’s, Village Pantry, Yesway and Young’s.
Participating retailers each support 24/7 Day in their own unique way, from offering free coffee, fountain and frozen drinks to a free breakfast and free bottled water for first responders in uniform or with a badge. A full list of participants, as well as what each store is offering, is available at 247Day.org.
“We hope you will join us in supporting the incredible community heroes who work tirelessly to lift up and help others during disasters and other crises,” said Nathan Measom, director of cause marketing for the American Red Cross. “We are grateful for this continued partnership, which is a unique celebration of those on the front line and the stores that support them. Along with the NACS Foundation, we look forward to giving a much deserved and well-earned high five to so many people on this fifth 24/7 Day.”
In addition to visiting a convenience store on 24/7 Day, the NACS Foundation invites the public to also take part by:
Donating to the American Red Cross directly to support the work they do in communities
Use the hashtag #247Day to show how you support your hometown heroes
Share stories of appreciation for first responders, medical personnel, 9-1-1 professionals, Red Cross volunteers and other local heroes in their community on social media, tagging #247Day
About the NACS Foundation
NACS Foundation is the 501(c)3 charitable arm of NACS, the global industry association dedicated to advancing convenience and fuel retailing. In partnership with fuel retail, convenience and suppliers across the U.S., the NACS Foundation propels brighter futures by unifying and amplifying the philanthropic and charitable activities of the industry in communities across America.
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SEG Donates $160K to Southeast Food Banks
Southeastern Grocers Inc., parent company and home of Fresco y Más, Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie grocery stores, together with the SEG Gives Foundation, has donated $160,000 to eight Southeast food banks to help combat food insecurity among families during the summer months.
According to Feeding America, 1 in 8 children across the United States may experience food insecurity and millions of children count on school meal programs to provide their daily nutrition. However, during the summer break, many children worry about where their next meal will come from as they lose access to these crucial programs while school is not in session.
Raymond Rhee, chief people officer for Southeastern Grocers, said, “With children at home during the summer months, the struggle to put enough food on the table for many families is often magnified. Through our donations to local food banks and our ongoing community hunger-relief initiatives, we are proud to support the tireless work of our regional partners to bridge the nutrition gap for our neighbors in need. We are dedicated to providing families with the nourishing food they need for a healthy life, and we remain committed to strengthening the communities we serve – today and every day.”
The five states SEG serves, including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi, rank in the top 20 for highest child poverty rates in the country, with three states falling within the top ten2. With these somber rankings further highlighting the critical need, SEG and the SEG Gives Foundation are steadfast in their commitment to support organizations that alleviate the burden on families in local communities. The following local food banks will each receive $20,000 to help fight hunger this summer:
Brighter Bites – Southwest Florida
Community Food Bank of Central Alabama
Feeding Northeast Florida
Feeding South Florida
Feeding Tampa Bay
Feeding the Gulf Coast
Food Bank of Greater Baton Rouge
Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida
The grocer continues to support neighbors in need throughout the year by giving back to local initiatives working to nurture underserved communities. Last month, the grocer donated $20,000 in groceries and vital funds to New Orleans Community Fridges, a local mutual aid effort to provide free food to community members in need. SEG is also partnering with Pie in the Sky Community Alliance, through the end of the year, to deliver 100 cartons of fresh eggs each month to more than 550 seniors in St. Johns County, Fla. In 2022, SEG and the SEG Gives Foundation donated more than $700,000 and 14 million pounds of food to organizations combating hunger throughout the Southeast, including Feeding America network food banks.
Additionally, with inflationary pressures continuing to affect people across the country, SEG is committed to helping every customer save on their grocery bills. In addition to shopping weekly specials, customers can maximize savings by using the grocer’s loyalty program with the Fresco y Más, Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie apps. The rewards program offers additional winning deals, digital coupons and points that can be redeemed for money off groceries. The program also provides points multipliers and personalized rewards offers as well as the grocer’s new Big App Deal, which allows customers to score a free item or bonus points. Through July 18, shoppers who activate the Big App Deal within the app will earn $5 in rewards points when purchasing SE Grocers Ground Coffee.
SEG also lowers prices on more than 150 commonly shopped items each season to help customers stretch their grocery budget year-round. Through the grocer’s “Down Down” program in Winn-Dixie stores, customers can save more than 15 percent on average at their neighborhood store when shopping items marked by the red hand on signs and tags throughout the store. Similarly, items marked in yellow and green signage at Fresco y Más and Harveys Supermarket are part of the “Low Price” and “Low Low Price” programs providing customers with deep discounts on their family’s grocery trip.
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US Foods Completes Renzi Foodservice Acquisition
US Foods Holding Corp. has successfully completed the previously announced acquisition of Renzi Foodservice, a broadline distributor located in Watertown, N.Y. The transaction closed July 7. The acquisition enables US Foods to further expand its reach into central upstate New York where the company does not have a distribution center.
Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. To learn more about the Renzi Foodservice acquisition, please view the company’s May 19, 2023 press release announcement here.
US Foods is one of America’s largest food companies and a leading foodservice distributor, partnering with approximately 250,000 restaurants and foodservice operators to help their businesses succeed. With 70 broadline locations and more than 85 cash and carry stores, US Foods and its 29,000 associates provides its customers with a broad and innovative food offering and a comprehensive suite of e-commerce, technology and business solutions. US Foods is headquartered in Rosemont, Ill.
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