FREDERICKSBURG, Va.—In celebration of Wawa’s 25th anniversary of opening its first store in Virginia, Wawa Inc. and The Wawa Foundation announced the details and timeline for the Virginia Local Hero Award, a recognition that offers nonprofit organizations the opportunity to nominate a volunteer who’s making an impact in Virginia.
In conjunction with Wawa’s 25th-anniversary celebration, The Wawa Foundation will recognize 25 volunteers supporting Virginia nonprofits who have been nominated by their peers or other community members. Each of the 25 Virginia Local Hero Award recipients will be honored with a $1,000 contribution given in their name to their affiliated nonprofit organization.
Submissions will be accepted from June 8th–30th. To submit an entry, individuals can share a story or video about a volunteer’s impact on their qualified nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization and the greater Virginia community through The Wawa Foundation’s website. Wawa will select the 25 most compelling stories, and the 25 finalists will be announced in August 2023 with a ceremony at Wawa’s next Virginia grand opening in Henrico, Virginia.
“For 25 years, Wawa has been proud to serve and give back to the Virginia community, but now, as we celebrate a quarter century in Virginia, we want to honor those who are dedicated to supporting organizations and communities that mean so much to so many across Virginia,” said The Wawa Foundation President Elizabeth Simeone. “We can’t wait to honor 25 of Virginia’s most outstanding and inspiring volunteers with a much-deserved Virginia Local Hero Award, and we look forward to recognizing all the meaningful work these individuals do at our upcoming August grand opening in Henrico.”