On January 12th the world collectively gasped as we learned of the devastating earthquake that struck Haiti.  Like millions of people across the nation, the Wawa family understood that immediate help was needed to provide aid and relief to the victims of the earthquake.

At Wawa we have a long history of being a good neighbor in every community we serve and, in times of terrible tragedy, also in communities where we do not have a presence. So when the earthquake struck Haiti, our associates and our customers mobilized at once to help those who were far beyond our immediate boundaries, but close to our hearts because of the hardship they were enduring.

Within a few days, our associates implemented a chain-wide campaign encouraging customers to add a $1 donation to their purchase to go directly to the American Red Cross International Disaster Relief effort in Haiti.  We were incredibly moved by the swift and generous response from our customers: we raised more than $350,000 in the course of just six days!  From every state and every county and every store, Wawa customers and associates gave from the heart. In addition to the relief funds raised through our in-store campaign, Wawa made a $50,000 donation and fifty of our corporate associates volunteered with the CBS-3 phone bank to take calls, thank viewers for their donations, and answer their questions.

I’m proud of our associates at every level of our company for doing the right thing and for contributing what they can to provide vital support to Haiti’s earthquake victims. It’s a precedent that extends back for several decades during which time Wawa has partnered with the American Red Cross to provide aid for victims of Hurricanes Andrew, Katrina and Rita; the Midwestern Floods; the Asian Tsunami; and the September 11 attacks. As with tragedies that have occurred before it, we know that Haiti has a long road to recovery and our work is far from done. Still, we can take small comfort in knowing that the efforts of the extended Wawa family are aiding the rebuilding process.

Chelsea, an Associate from our Lexington Park, MD store best captures the community spirit of this fundraising effort in her recent email: 
"I was looking for ways to donate and help, and [Wawa] gave me the answer mere days after it happened. Wawa's swift, kind-hearted response to this tragedy shows how much we care, not only about our customers, but people all over the world. I'm proud to say I work for this company, and can't wait to see how much we all raised together!"