WAWA, Pa. & ANKENY, Iowa—Following the impact of Hurricane Ian, Wawa is supporting storm recovery efforts in the state of Florida.

“As a longtime member of the Florida community, Wawa believes strongly in the importance of giving back and providing support for our Florida friends and neighbors during times of need,” Wawa wrote in a statement.

Support by Wawa includes:

• $500,000 Contribution to the Florida Disaster Fund: The Florida Disaster Fund is the state of Florida’s official private fund established to provide financial assistance to its communities as they respond to and recover from times of emergency or disaster. Wawa has made a $500,000 donation to the Florida Disaster Fund to help aid in recovery efforts. Those interested in contributing can visit www.FloridaDisasterFund.org or text DISASTER to 20222.
• Free Coffee and Fountain Beverages for First Responders in Florida: Wawa stores in Florida are providing free coffee and fountain beverages to all first responders in Florida, including police, fire, EMT and the National Guard for all they are doing to support and serve communities during Hurricane Ian response and recovery efforts. 

“As a member of the Florida community for more than a decade, we believe Wawa has a responsibility to give back and provide much-needed support for our Florida friends and neighbors during times of need,” said Chris Gheysens, Wawa president and CEO. “While recovery efforts continue, Wawa will do everything in our power to help our community and remain stocked with essential food and fuel during these challenging times. We thank our heroic first responders and friendly neighbors doing their part to support our communities and get us back and running again.”

In the wake of Hurricane Ian, Wawa is also providing a detailed and regularly updated list of its Florida stores’ status, including information on the store’s opening status and its fuel supply. The list will be continuously updated every day until all stores are fully reopened.

Meanwhile, Casey’s Cash for Classrooms grant program is accepting submissions for 2023 grants through November 30. Now in its third year, the grant program supports projects and initiatives taking place at accredited K-12 public and non-profit, private schools in Casey’s communities across the heart of America.

“At Casey’s, we believe schools are the heart of our communities. With school back in session, we're inspired even more to give back through the Cash for Classrooms grant program this year,” said Megan Elfers, president, Casey’s Charities. “Education provides the foundation for our youth by preparing them for a bright future, and educators today are helping lead the way. Casey’s is proud of its giving efforts that continue to make far-reaching impacts on local schools and for teachers, students and families in the communities we serve.”

Since inception, Casey’s grant program has awarded over $2 million and nearly 200 grants to schools throughout the 16 states it operates. Read more about the impact of last year’s grants on the Casey’s blog.

Grant requests may range from $3,000 to $50,000 and can be used for a variety of projects and initiatives focused on physical improvements, material needs, teacher support and community engagement initiatives.

In March, Casey’s announced 89 local schools benefited from its Cash for Classrooms 2022 grant program. With support from its guests and partners like Keurig Dr Pepper, Casey’s distributed $1 million to schools in need. The grants ranged from $3,000 to $50,000.

The deadline to submit a grant application is November 30, 2022, and grants will be awarded in March 2023.