“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

We recently held our Service Awards program, which was held the evening of October 9, under a tent on the grounds of Red Roof.  During this event, we celebrate the anniversary milestones of our associates as well as review the history and heritage of the company.  Celebrating service milestones is just one way we have of recognizing the associates who make our values come to life and our company so special.

During the event, we recognized associates celebrating 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40 years with the Company.  These special associates are celebrating a service milestone during a year when Wawa is celebrating a milestone of 45 years in the convenience retailing business. We conducted the celebration under a big top tent at Red Roof, the location of our company headquarters, the former family home of George Wood which went onto become our corporate support offices, just shortly after we opened our first Wawa store in 1964.

I was proud and honored to be able to recognize over 100 award recipients that night whose efforts, along with their thousands of co-workers, have helped us succeed during these uncertain economic times. 

For me, the 45th Wawaversary gives us time to reflect on our evolution as a company and look back at how far we’ve come. As I’ve said before, Wawa’s history dates back to 1803 — first as an iron foundry, then as a dairy, and ultimately as a convenience store chain. And while the stores might look totally different today than what Grahame Wood imaged 45 years ago, we still embrace that same spirit of innovation and dedication to simplifying the lives of our customers.  Grahame would be proud of the changes and innovation but, he would be most proud of how we continue to keep true to our values, and how we continue to celebrate our Associates’ commitment to doing it just a little bit better for our customers. 

Celebrating Our Fourth Dream Maker Winner, Samantha Eller

Dreams do come true. Our Associate Samantha Eller learned this on Wednesday, September 30 as she stepped on stage before 150 cheering Wawa associates and was awarded Wawa’s fourth ever Dream Maker Award. It was a moment I’ll remember forever. Samantha’s parents, John and Barbara Ann and husband BJ stood proudly by her side. Samantha’s four-year-old daughter Sophie, dressed as a fairy princess, smiled broadly for the cameras and flourished her wand towards the giddy crowd. Samantha’s eyes widened and her jaw dropped and lowered in astonishment after I announced each dream reward she was being given as part of her fairy princess package– among them a deluxe salon & spa package, a new wardrobe, and a five day Disney cruise!

The Dream Maker award is our version of Extreme Home Makeover meets Make-a-Wish. It’s a chance for the Wawa community to embrace our values champions and, in our own small way, make their ultimate dreams become a reality. We didn’t just guess what would make Samantha’s dreams come true; we asked her colleagues, friends, and family to help us craft the perfect dream package. It’s the least we could offer to someone who has given so much of herself to help those around her.

Truthfully, as extravagant as these rewards sound, they are trivial in comparison to the lasting impact that Samantha has had on her fellow Wawa associates. Our Dream Maker Award is the highest honor in our Big Six Values Program, which recognizes and celebrates our associates for living our company’s six core values.  Every month associates submit stories about their co-workers exemplifying our values, and we honor and recognize these associates in different ways. 

Samantha Eller was selected from among Wawa’s 16,000 associates for the deep compassion and commitment she has shown to her colleagues. When fellow associate Nichole Wright was involved in a terrible car accident that hospitalized her for 20 days, including seven in the ICU, Samantha dropped everything she was doing to be by Nichole’s side. She has been instrumental in supporting Nichole’s recovery that has involved 13 rounds of complex, reconstructive surgery. Samantha regularly visited Nichole in the hospital, served as a liaison to Nichole’s friends and family, and helped make her recovery as pain free and worry free as possible. Samantha even invited Nichole to stay with her and her family for several weeks to help take care of her every need. Samantha has been a fairy godmother for Nichole Wright and it was only fitting that we honor her in return with a special Fairy Princess Package.

I had a chance to catch up with a still breathless Samantha after our surprise announcement and she shared this thought with me;

“I’ve worked alongside so many wonderful associates at Wawa who go above and beyond every day that I’m humbled to have been selected from among them as the Dream Maker recipient. More than anything, this experience has inspired me to share the stories of my fellow values champions who are equally deserving of this distinction. This is truly a dream come true!”

In these challenging times, value and values make all the difference. At Wawa, we strive to live our values – Value People, Delight Customers, Embrace Change, Do Things Right, Do the Right Thing, Passion for Winning – each and every day in the same way that we strive to deliver value to our customers in the form of great prices, fun events, and top notch customer service. It’s all part of our commitment to providing our customers with the best in-store experience possible by living our values, right here at home. There is no better example of living our values than our recent Dream Maker award.

Samantha, we’re so very proud of you for all that you have done, and continue to do, for the Wawa family. You are a Values Champion and are truly deserving of the distinction of Dream Maker.  May all your dreams come true!

‘Till next time…