If you visited a Wawa sometime during the past month, you probably noticed the colorful sneakers hanging throughout the store. It’s all part of our annual effort to support the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation’s (JDRF’s) sneaker sales campaign, where we encourage our customers to buy a $1 paper sneaker at check-out to support diabetes research.

Throughout the month of September, the bright paper sneakers were hanging in our stores, and throughout October, you’ll see hundreds of Wawa Associates attending the annual JDRF Walks throughout the Delaware Valley.  Today, millions of families are affected by Type 1 Juvenile Diabetes and nothing means more to those parents and their children than to feel the strong support of Wawa’s customers and associates.

I am proud to say that this year we raised record amounts through our in-store collection efforts, and for that we have you – both our customers and our associates – to thank.  Because of you, paper sneaker sales raised more than $366,755, an exciting record total!  Every year during our in-store fundraising campaign, our store teams ensure they are talking to customers, sharing with them the opportunity to get involved, raise funds and increase awareness to help find a cure, and our customers respond with a kindness and benevolence that never ceases to amaze us.

While we have many individuals to thank, it’s truly a total team effort that contributed to record sneaker sales. To our associates, thank you for the incredible in-store fundraising, for committing yourselves to walking for a cure and to handing out beverages and snacks during the annual Walks throughout our 5-state area. 

This year, store #967 in Blackwood, NJ, managed by Laura Ferry, led the way, with the highest sneaker sales of any Wawa store chain wide!  Laura credits her associates with the success, saying that “They all understand how much of an impact each sneaker sale can have on finding a cure. This is a great cause and I was able to get everyone involved.” All of our stores, from Virginia to New Jersey showed their passion for helping their friends, neighbors and fellow associates who dream of the day when a cure will be found.

To our customers, thank you for your wonderful generosity and unwavering support of our fundraising efforts.  Every year, you support our efforts to find a cure for Juvenile Diabetes. We couldn’t do this without you.

All of us at Wawa have a strong belief that the JDRF is vital in the mission to finding a cure for Juvenile Diabetes and in making a positive difference in the lives of those affected by it.  JDRF-funded research is moving us closer to our goal of a cure than ever before and to our customers and associates, we want to say “we have you to thank!”

“Till next time…