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The Pantry, Inc., the leading independently operated convenience store chain in the southeastern United States, today announced its summer-long Kangaroo Express "Salute Our Troops®" fundraising campaign raised $954,000 for Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP), helping to fulfill its mission of honoring and empowering Wounded Warriors.
Kangaroo Express will present the donation to WWP during the 2012 Carrier Classic on the flight deck of the USS Yorktown in Charleston, S.C. To be played on Nov. 9, the Carrier Classic will feature double-header basketball games between the women’s teams of Ohio State University and the University of Notre Dame, and the men’s teams of Marquette University and Ohio State University.
Silver Star-recipient Staff Sergeant Tommy Rieman and John Fisher, senior vice president of marketing, merchandising and restaurant operations at Kangaroo Express, will present the donation to Wounded Warriors whose lives have been impacted by WWP.
The donation is nearly double the $584,000 Kangaroo Express raised for WWP during its inaugural 2011 Salute Our Troops campaign. In its second year, the campaign raised $3.17 million total for military support organizations, surpassing the total number of funds raised during the inaugural 2011 campaign.
From Independence Day through Labor Day, Kangaroo Express invited store guests to make donations to the campaign and empower communities to shine a spotlight of praise and gratitude on the military. Through its more than 1,500 Kangaroo Express stores across 13 states, customers and communities enthusiastically demonstrated united support for military personnel and their families.
"Kangaroo Express guests and associates elevated the Salute Our Troops campaign to unprecedented levels this summer. The pride and gratitude that they have shown for our Armed Forces and their families truly led this fundraising campaign to its overwhelming success," said John Fisher, senior vice president of marketing, merchandising and restaurant operations, Kangaroo Express. "Our customers and store associates – especially those in Florida – know what great support organizations like Wounded Warrior Project can provide for our military. We look forward to continuing to work with the Wounded Warrior Project to support our wounded veterans and their families."
Donations to WWP will build on those collected during the 2011 Salute Our Troops campaign to continue to support our military and their families. These donations have been able to provide unique, direct programs and services to assist injured servicemen and women.
"It is organizations like Kangaroo Express that go above and beyond, showing their unconditional support for the military and our so-deserving Wounded Warriors," said Al Giordano, deputy executive director, Wounded Warrior Project. "With this generous donation from Kangaroo Express, we will be able to continue on with our mission of empowering and improving the lives of our injured servicemen and women."
In addition to WWP, donations from the campaign will directly support six other military support organizations.
More than 200 Salute Our Troops celebrations were held at Kangaroo Express stores and community events throughout the southeastern United States led by the Salute Our Troops Caravan. Celebrations included custom military vehicles and the Salute Our Troops Command Center, where store guests had the opportunity to add their own voice of gratitude with “shout outs” of pride and appreciation. More than 3,000 "shout outs" are showcased on the Salute Our Troops website at KESalute.com to share with troops and families around the world.
Salute Our Troops sponsor Mars Chocolate donated an additional $15,000 to WWP on behalf of the Salute Our Troops fundraising campaign, bringing the total donation to more than $1 million.
Presenting sponsor, PepsiCo, one of the world’s largest food and beverage companies with iconic brands such as Pepsi-Cola, Quaker, Tropicana, Gatorade and Frito-Lay, was the leading corporate contributor to Kangaroo Express' fundraising goal. To view additional Salute Our Troops partners, including McLane and Rockstar, please visit KESalute.com/partners.
For more information, visit the Salute Our Troops website at KESalute.com.
About The Pantry and Kangaroo Express
Headquartered in Cary, North Carolina, The Pantry, Inc. (kangarooexpress.com) is the leading independently operated convenience store chain in the southeastern United States and one of the largest independently operated convenience store chains in the country. As of August 6, 2012, the Company operated 1,589 stores in thirteen states under select banners, including Kangaroo Express®, its primary operating banner. The Pantry's stores offer a broad selection of merchandise, as well as fuel and other ancillary services designed to appeal to the convenience needs of its customers.
With more than half of our stores located within 25 miles of a military installation, Kangaroo Express has supported the military and their families for many years, including raising a total of $5.67 million for military support organizations such as Wounded Warrior Project as part of its annual "Salute Our Troops®" fundraising campaign.
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