LAVAL, Quebec, CANADA—Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. has announced a fundraising campaign to help people suffering from the war in Ukraine, according to a news release. Circle K aims to raise at least €2 million (US$2.2 million) to support Red Cross efforts.

Starting today in Europe, the "You Donate, We Match" campaign invites customers to donate at the register of any of the 2,500 Circle K stores in the Baltics, Scandinavia and Ireland. Each donation made by a customer will be matched with an identical donation by Circle K.

The proceeds will benefit the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), who support Red Cross teams and relief efforts in Ukraine and neighboring countries, as well as local relief efforts to Ukrainian refugees.

"Since the outbreak of the war, we have received many requests from team members and customers to support the people of Ukraine," said Hans-Olav Høidahl, executive vice president, operations, Europe. “We hope to raise as much funds as possible to support the Red Cross with their tireless work to help the Ukrainian people. I want to thank all our teams and customers for their generosity in launching and supporting this fund-raising campaign.”

For its global employee base, the company has also opened a fundraising campaign for team members who wish to donate to the IFRC. This builds on the $1.5 million already donated by Couche-Tard's leadership team.

"Our hearts go out to all those displaced and suffering from this conflict. Through the generosity of our customers, and by collaborating with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, we want to contribute as much as possible to provide relief to the people and communities impacted by this conflict," said Brian Hannasch, president and CEO of Couche-Tard.

Circle K has a strong presence in the Baltic countries with over 6,500 team members and over 600 stores located in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. Since the conflict began in Ukraine, Circle K teams located in neighboring countries have worked with various partners to support people displaced by the crisis with fuel and essential products.

Last week, Alimentation Couche-Tard announced that the company was immediately suspending operations in Russia and implementing plans to take care of its employees in a “responsible and safe manner.” In Russia, Couche-Tard has operated under its primary brand Circle K including over 320 employees and 38 stores located in St. Petersburg, Murmansk and Pskov.