ALEXANDRIA, Va. – On this week’s episode of Convenience Matters, “Networking for Kids,” NACS hosts Jeff Lenard and Carolyn Schnare talk with John Lauck, president of the Children’s Miracle Network (CMN), about the benefits of partnering to help kids.

For parents whose children face serious illnesses, having access to a local hospital especially for kids can make a huge difference. “We raise funds and awareness for 170 children’s hospitals in the United States and Canada,” Lauck says. Part of CMN’s mission is to help make connections with those who will support the hospitals through fundraising.

The convenience store industry often partners with CMN to raise funds through cannister programs. For example, Speedway has raised nearly $100 million since 1991 for CMN. “In the convenience industry, we work with a number of outstanding partners that really help us at the register to raise funds,” Lauck says. “All the funds stay local, so any funds that are raised go to support the hospitals in those communities.”

Last year, CMN raised more than $400 million, which supported approximately 11 million kids. For retailers, helping CMN can create “a level of brand loyalty,” Lauck says. His organization has measured customer loyalty related to partnering with CMN and found that “there’s a preference to go in and use that service or brand because of how they are giving back right there in their own community.”

To learn more, get involved or to donate, please visit Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.

Each week a new Convenience Matters episode is released. The weekly podcast can be downloaded on iTunes, Google Play Music and Stitcher and at www.conveniencematters.com. Episodes have been downloaded by listeners more than 39,000 times in more than 95 countries.