ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 21, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The convenience store industry is uniting to honor local heroes across the country to celebrate 24/7 Day. Held every July 24, 24/7 Day recognizes first responders, medical personnel and American Red Cross volunteers who work around the clock, 24/7, serving communities to ensure people don't face emergencies alone. The annual event, hosted by the NACS Foundation, helps raise awareness and donations for the urgent humanitarian needs of the Red Cross and spotlights the convenience store industry's important role in supporting local heroes in the communities they serve.
Convenience stores are community stores: 93% of Americans live within 10 minutes of one of the 152,720 convenience stores in the United States. Cumulatively, the industry serves 165 million customers per day, sells 80% of the fuel purchased and dedicates more than $1 billion a year to advance the futures of individuals and families by supporting local organizations and charitable causes.
More than 30,000 convenience and fuel retailer locations are participating in the celebration. Brands that are joining together with the NACS Foundation to support 24/7 Day by participating in all or most of their locations include ampm, BP and Amoco, California Fuels and Convenience Alliance (CFCA), ExtraMile, High's, Huck's, JJ's, Kwik Chek, Loop Neighborhood Market, Pilot Company, Rapid Refill & Garrett's Family Market, Rutter's, Sheetz (Community Leader Sponsor), Shell, The Markets of Tiger Fuel Company, Thornton's, Wawa and Yesway. Each participating retailer is supporting 24/7 Day in its own unique way, including offering free in-store offers for first responders, medical personnel and Red Cross volunteers on July 24 to thank them for their work in our communities. In addition, GSTV, the national video network entertaining targeted audiences at scale across tens of thousands of fuel retailers, is supporting the NACS Foundation's #247Day social media campaign via awareness video content at fuel dispensers across the U.S. as the non-profit's official 2020 media partner.
People face emergencies every day that affect nearly every community the convenience store industry serves. On average, more than 30,000 people a day receive assistance from the Red Cross, whether they need lifesaving blood, relief after a disaster, support with the challenges of military life, skills that save lives or international humanitarian aid. Every Red Cross donation helps change lives, and 90 cents of every dollar the Red Cross spends is invested in delivering care and comfort to those in need.
"Each day, families rely on community heroes for support during disasters and other crises," said Don Herring, chief development officer for the American Red Cross. "That's why we are so grateful for this partnership to help ensure people don't face emergencies alone. We hope you will join us on 24/7 Day, along with the NACS Foundation, to support this work and to thank our local heroes who help when it's needed most."
The NACS Foundation invites the public to take part in 24/7 Day by:
Donating to support the American Red Cross' work in communities around the country;
Visiting 247Day.org to find a complete list of participating convenience stores, their unique local offers and ways to support their in-store 24/7 Day efforts;
Visiting a participating convenience store. Many 24/7 Day partners are donating a portion of sales for certain products to the Red Cross on July 24 and the remainder of the month of July;
Sharing your #WeHeartHeroes story. Join the conversation on social media, share photos and stories on social with the #WeHeartHeroes and #247Day tags to honor a first responder that holds a special place in your heart.
"The NACS Foundation is proud to unite the convenience and fuel retailing industry to support the American Red Cross, its volunteers and the first responders who support our communities 24/7," said Stephanie Sikorski, executive director at the NACS Foundation. "Convenience stores are often seen as the first supporters to first responders—serving as the only locations that remain open in a crisis and ensuring that fuel, food and other necessities are available for emergency workers and customers seeking a return to normalcy. And with their extended hours of operation, our stores are often the only place open to serve first responders and medical personnel working overnight. That's why the NACS Foundation honors first responders who work around the clock and is committed to amplifying our industry's reach and impact of its positive charitable efforts in communities across the country."
Sikorski noted a special thank you to Sheetz on behalf of the NACS Foundation for supporting 24/7 Day as a Community Leader Sponsor for the second year, with a generous donation to the NACS Foundation and the Red Cross.
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. To learn more, visit conveniencecares.org, or visit us on Facebook at @TheNACSFoundation and Twitter at @NACS_Foundation.
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