Submissions Accepted June 8 – June 30;
Award Will Honor a Nonprofit Volunteer Improving and Building Stronger Communities in Virginia
FREDERICKSBURG, Va., June 08, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In celebration of Wawa’s 25th anniversary of opening its first store in Virginia, Wawa, Inc., and The Wawa Foundation, a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation founded by Wawa to support the company’s charitable giving and philanthropic activities, announced the details and timeline for the Virginia Local Hero Award, a recognition that offers non-profit organizations the opportunity to nominate a volunteer who’s making an impact in Virginia.
About the Award
The Virginia Local Hero Award recognizes the important role individuals can play in improving and building stronger communities. In conjunction with Wawa’s 25th-anniversary celebration, The Wawa Foundation will recognize 25 volunteers supporting Virginia non-profits who have been nominated by their peers or other community members. Each of the 25 Virginia Local Hero Award recipients will be honored with a $1,000 contribution given in their name to their affiliated non-profit organization.
About the Submission Process
Submissions will be accepted from June 8 – June 30. To submit an entry, individuals can share a story or video about a volunteer’s impact on their qualified non-profit 501(c)(3) organization and the greater Virginia community through The Wawa Foundation’s website (www.thewawafoundation.org). Wawa will select the 25 most compelling stories, and the 25 finalists will be announced in August 2023 with a ceremony at Wawa’s next Virginia grand opening at 5900 W. Broad St. in Henrico, VA.
“For 25 years, Wawa has been proud to serve and give back to the Virginia community, but now, as we celebrate a quarter century in Virginia, we want to honor those who are dedicated to supporting organizations and communities that mean so much to so many across Virginia,” said The Wawa Foundation president Elizabeth Simeone. “We can’t wait to honor 25 of Virginia’s most outstanding and inspiring volunteers with a much-deserved Virginia Local Hero Award, and we look forward to recognizing all the meaningful work these individuals do at our upcoming August grand opening in Henrico!”
For more information on the Virginia Local Hero Award, please visit www.wawa.com/virginia25
About The Wawa Foundation
The Wawa Foundation is an extension of Wawa’s commitment to making the world a better place by fulfilling customers’ lives every day. The Wawa Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation founded by Wawa, Inc. to support the company’s charitable giving and philanthropic activities – and ultimately to help build happier, stronger communities. The Wawa Foundation focuses its support on organizations committed to health, hunger and everyday heroes through local, regional and national grants and / or in-store fundraising, through donation boxes and point-of-purchase scan materials. Since 2014, Wawa and The Wawa Foundation have contributed more than $136 Million to non-profits in the focus areas of health, hunger and everyday heroes.
About Wawa, Inc.
Wawa, Inc., a privately held company, began in 1803 as an iron foundry in New Jersey. Toward the end of the 19th Century, owner George Wood took an interest in dairy farming and the family began a small processing plant in Wawa, PA in 1902. The milk business was a huge success, due to its quality, cleanliness and “certified” process. As home delivery of milk declined in the early 1960s, Grahame Wood, George’s grandson, opened the first Wawa Food Market in 1964 as an outlet for dairy products. Today, Wawa is your all day, every day stop for freshly prepared foods, beverages, coffee, fuel services and surcharge-free ATMs. Wawa stores are located in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Florida and Washington, D.C. The stores offer a large fresh foodservice selection, including Wawa brands such as custom prepared hoagies, freshly brewed coffee, hot breakfast sandwiches, specialty beverages and an assortment of soups, sides and snacks. Forbes.com Ranks Wawa as #24 of America’s Largest Private Companies in 2021 and #12 on Forbes 100 Halo List in 2022. For more information, visit us on www.wawa.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat at @wawa.
CONTACT: public.relations@wawa.com
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b7f57f81-ebd9-4022-9343-46c16867755d
