This past weekend, hundreds of participants came out to take on this challenge with bright smiles on their faces and determination in their eyes, climbing 53 Floors and 1019 stairs to the top of Philadelphia’s Mellon Bank Center, for our 23rd Annual Stair Climb to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF).

The CFF is a nonprofit donor-supported organization that seeks to cure and control cystic fibrosis and improve the quality of life for those living with the disease.  We’ve built a long and valuable relationship with the CFF and have been sponsoring the Stair Climb almost since its inception.  Each year, we invite participants to fuel up before the event at our Wawa breakfast tent and take an active role in cheering on participants, many of whom are Wawa Associates, as they embark on their climb.

As an organization that is dedicated to supporting children’s health initiatives, all of us at Wawa truly believe this event in particular supports the mission of the CFF in a unique and challenging way, and helps build the vital awareness and funds needed to find a cure.  And it’s clear from the outpouring of community support, we’re not alone. 

This year we included information about the Stair Climb on our coffee clutches in the weeks leading up to the event, so that our customers could start their days thinking about ways to take up the cause and do their part in the fight against cystic fibrosis.  The coffee clutches also prompted numerous conversations between our customers and store associates about people they knew who suffered from cystic fibrosis.

Through the years, we have been touched by the deep connection that participants in the CFF stair climb share with one another, despite being of all ages, fitness levels, and backgrounds. They’re united in their passion for one thing: Finding a cure for cystic fibrosis.

Although finding a cure is an uphill climb, we will keep climbing until we’ve reached our goal.  See you next year!

‘Till next time…

Last week, as the snow finally began to clear, all we could talk about was summer time at Wawa.  It wasn’t because this frigid weather was making us all dream of 90 degree temperatures, but because on Friday I joined Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, in announcing that Wawa will be the new title sponsor of the city’s Welcome America! summer event. 

Welcome America! has become an integral part of Philadelphians lives just as Wawa has for all of our loyal customers.  Every summer Welcome America! attracts thousands of visitors to Philadelphia to celebrate the Fourth of July. Through Welcome America!, the city of Philadelphia takes center stage welcoming all of these visitors to partake in historical, cultural, and family entertainment.  And let’s not forget, it features the largest free concert in America with premier musical headliners! 

All of us at Wawa are thrilled to be hosting this event, not only because it’s a fun and exciting way to celebrate the Fourth of July, but because we have roots that travel deep both within the city of Philadelphia and within the Welcome America! festivities, that make this collaboration extremely fitting and meaningful. 

Back in 1996, we were one of the participants of the inaugural Welcome America! event, and for many years our Hoagie Day was a featured event during Welcome America!.  We built hoagies in excess of two miles, even surrounding City Hall at one point.

We are proud to return to this great celebration and to expand our involvement through a commitment for the next three years.  More than anything we are proud to further the longstanding relationship that exists between the City of Philadelphia and Wawa.   In January I wrote about Operation Brotherly Love, http://www.wawa.com/Blog/category/Community.aspx, a carnival spreading holiday joy to children, which we held in conjunction with the Mayor’s Office of Community Services.   Just like Operation Brotherly Love, our involvement in Welcome America! is our way of giving back to the community, while adding fun, patriotism and hometown pride to our region. 

Thank you to the City of Philadelphia for always welcoming us with open arms.  We are thrilled to say, “Wawa Welcome America!”
 
‘Till next time…

http://www.montgomerynews.com/articles/2010/02/09/roxborough_review/news/doc4b71a3e37efcd330056523.txt

http://www.kyw1060.com/Wawa-Will-Welcome-America/6351322

http://www.delcotimes.com/articles/2010/02/13/business/doc4b7673fb03e9a881715691.txt
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/local/84290157.html
http://www.philly.com/philly/hp/news_update/84290482.html

http://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/stories/2010/02/15/daily6.html
http://www.montgomerynews.com/articles/2010/02/18/roxborough_review/news/doc4b7aed9ccc27d015434315.txt

We’ve got more than a month of winter left, but on the heels of last week’s massive East Coast blizzard, Philadelphia, Washington DC, and Baltimore have already broken records with the snowiest winters in history.  It was beginning to feel like déjà vu for a lot of us, as the third major snowstorm this season pummeled the East Coast, and as we again watched as highways, schools, businesses, roads and public transit were all shut down.

One thing you could count on to stay open, however, was your neighborhood Wawa.  I’m proud to say that for those who had to battle the snow, get essentials or simply find refuge in the midst of the blizzard, they found that our stores were stocked, open, and ready to serve. 

This was no easy task, but thanks to our incredible crisis response team, strategic planning, and the collective efforts of our associates, fewer than 20 of our 572 stores had unscheduled closings. This valiant team effort was accomplished by making sure that stores were running on generators in case the power went out, and using a network of plows to keep our parking lots and gas-pump areas cleared, to taking great lengths before the storm hit to keep our stores stocked and staffed, in order to keep our stores opened no matter how much snow fell.

As one of the only businesses open, news reporters stood in front of our stores, updating the public on the weather.  They stressed that everyone should stay home if possible, and that the people who were out and about were doing so for essentials, or to help neighbors or elderly people who were out of food or basics.  We were glad to know we could help those who needed it most, and that even emergency providers could count on us for the fundamentals and beyond.

A few publications took notice of our efforts to stay open, and we were glad to take the opportunity to acknowledge the effort so of the Wawa team with the Philadelphia Inquirer http://www.philly.com/philly/business/homepage/20100210_Neither_snow_nor_sleet_
shall_close_local_Wawas.html; Fox News:  http://www.myfoxphilly.com/dpp/money/021210_Wawa_Stay_Open_Despite_Blizzard
and AOL’s Daily Finance http://www.dailyfinance.com/story/back-to-back-blizzards-bust-some-
budgets-while-boosting-others/19348899/ to talk about everything it takes to plow through these storms.  But most of all we were glad to take the opportunity to give credit to our entire Wawa team, all who work together to make Wawa a beacon in even the stormiest of conditions. 

One of our newly appointed Area Managers, Chris Casey, truly captured the spirit of the blizzard with the following quote to his store teams in Maryland:

“I just want to say how proud I am of all of you! You have all gone above and beyond to keep things running in the most adverse conditions that I have ever seen. The most amazing thing is the positive attitudes that everyone has maintained throughout this situation. What awesome people you are!! The sacrifice that you have made to keep the stores running and to take care of our customers who depend on us so much is simply outstanding! I feel somewhat responsible for all of this, because since I took over the area, it has done nothing but Snow. Your effort over the last week will be remembered by many forever. Again, I just want to thank you and I am fortunate for the opportunity to work with all of you. Please share these thoughts with the awesome associates that you all have!”

So today, as we dig out our cars, plow our streets, and recover from the storm, I want everyone at Wawa to know how thankful I am to be part of such an incredible company that maintains our pledge to delight customers at all times.  Snow place like Wawa!

‘Till next time…

Phila Inquirer_Wawas Stay Open_Snow_021010.pdf