Two and a half years ago, Emily Koch, Mary Speer, Andrea Sasin, Ann Wuetig and Jill Fitzpatrick set out on an ambitious mission -- to stop at every at every single Wawa store in our entire chain before the year 2010, in an effort to raise funds for the Melanoma International Foundation (MIF).  These five childhood friends, now known fondly as the 2010 Girls, crusaded in honor of their classmate, Maria Whitehead, who sadly died of Melanoma in 2006.  

Since early 2007, these five women from West Chester, PA have been fervently visiting all of our stores, using Google Maps and a spreadsheet to keep track of their journeys. They gained a faithful following along the way and you may have spotted them in one of our stores, on TV, or in the newspaper as they raised awareness about Melanoma. If this is your first time hearing about the Wawa 2010 Girls, they’ve documented every step of their mission at wawa2010.blogspot.com. 

Two weeks ago, Emily, Mary, Andrea, Ann and Jill completed their odyssey, and yes, they did it before 2010! Their final stop occurred at the grand opening celebration of our new store in Zieglerville, PA, and I have to say, it was one of the most meaningful grand openings we’ve had.  Members of the MIF, Wawa store associates and community members all came out to share in the celebration of their feat, as the girls made their final Wawa purchase.  They even joined us in a hoagie building competition where they were challenged to build as many hoagies as possible in the traditional Wawa way.  In addition to matching the $2,500 the women raised, we were honored to make a $10,000 contribution to the MIF, and additionally donate money for every hoagie the girls built. 

Jill Fitzpatrick had a chance to reflect on their journey at the celebration saying, "Throughout our mission, our love of Wawa has only grown as we have experienced the ins and outs and unique personalities of each one. I was able to learn the geography of the region on long road trips, grow closer to good friends, support a worthwhile charity, and continually satisfied my addiction to fountain sodas."

Emily Koch echoed Jill’s sentiment, saying “I am amazed at how much our lives have changed because of one simple idea to visit every Wawa.” 

To Emily I have to say, you’d be amazed by how many lives you have changed by seeing your mission to the end.  Throughout the years all of us at Wawa have rallied around causes that affect our associates and their families, so we know first hand the importance of championing and brining awareness to important causes in the communities we serve.  To us, part of being a leader in convenience is about remaining committed to helping our customers and community members, and rallying around the people who make up our Wawa extended family.

So congratulations to Emily, Mary, Andrea, Ann and Jill.  We hope that although your mission is complete, we will still see you again in our stores sometime soon.

‘Till next time…  

“Henceforth; it is with great dignity and pride that Wawa officially marks November 5, 2009 as Harriet Pearson Day!”

This was part of the proclamation read last week during a very special 90th birthday celebration for one of our most beloved associates, Harriet Pearson, at her store in Cinnaminson, New Jersey.  To mark this special day and thank Harriet for all the joy and happiness she brings to her store associates and customers each and every day, we held an exciting in-store celebration in Harriet’s honor, attended by all the customers and associates who love Harriet so dearly.

As I’ve said in previous entries, I’m a big believer in staying young at heart, and believe this mindset promotes an open mind, and leads to change, creativity and innovation. No one epitomizes this more than Harriet! Harriet is one of those rare individuals who makes a difference in every life she touches.  She joined her Cinnaminson team in 1996 at the spry age of 78 and for over a decade has made all the people who enter her store feel like family.  Five days a week, Harriet prepares the morning breakfast sandwiches, stuffs pretzels, and restocks sandwiches.  And five days a week she greets almost every customer by name and with a hug!

According to Harriet, “Hugs don't cost anything - they're free!  And they make a world of difference.” 

It’s hard to put into words what Harriet means to both the customers and associates at her Cinnaminson store, but you could see at the celebration how lucky everyone felt to know her.  Customers flooded the store to celebrate her special day, and lined up to give her flowers, gifts, and, of course, hugs.

One customer put it best when he said, “Harriet is an everyday hero.  Celebrities and sports heroes get a lot of press - but Harriet is a regular person who makes a huge difference in people's lives.”

Harriet, you are truly our hero.  People like Harriet are very rare, and it always amazes me how many exceptional individuals we have right here at Wawa.  Our associates are truly the reason our customers can’t start their day without their daily stop to Wawa.  It’s not just the products and convenience we provide, but the associates behind the counters who build life-long relationships with our customers.  So here’s to Harriet, our 90-years-young associate. Happy Birthday and here’s to many, many more.

‘Til next time. 

View coverage of Harriet Pearson’s Birthday Celebration at;
http://www.kyw1060.com/In-South-Jersey--a-Wawa-Worker-Proves-It-s-Not-Abo/5608392