WAWA, Pa., April 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Wawa, Inc., today announced that its annual Wawa Day tradition is back and brighter than ever! On April 14, in honor of its 58th anniversary in retail, Wawa will celebrate the occasion by offering customers FREE hot coffee of any-size, chainwide, all day! Throughout the day, Wawa expects to give away more than 2 million free cups of any size coffee to customers at its more than 960 stores.
In April of 1964, Wawa entered the retail business when it opened its first store in Delaware County, PA. Now, 58 years later, Wawa continues to honor that milestone with a celebration across all of its stores. This year’s Wawa Day celebration is
dedicated to brightening the days of its customers, associates and communities.
“We are thrilled to be able to bring back our traditional Wawa Day festivities to honor the millions of customers who have been such an integral part of our growth through the years. As we mark our 58th anniversary, we look forward to brightening the days of our customers, associates and communities with free coffee, special recognitions and vital resources, continuing our longstanding tradition of providing necessary support to our communities and National Partners during times of need,” said Chris Gheysens, Wawa President and CEO. “Being there for our customers, associates and communities when they need us most remains one of our core commitments and one that we always seek to strengthen through new partnerships and possibilities. Happy Wawa Day, and cheers to 58 years of fulfilling lives, every day!”
How Wawa Plans to Brighten Days on April 14th:
With Wawa Day back in full swing, the 2022 event will feature several special events and celebrations that will pay tribute to Wawa’s rich history and culture, while brightening the days of Wawa’s customers, associates and communities.
- Free Hot Coffee, Chainwide on April 14th – Wawa will give away 2 million free cups of any-size, hot coffee for all customers, chainwide, all day. Customers can simply come into their local store and grab their favorite hot beverage from Wawa’s self-serve coffee bar with our heartfelt thanks for being loyal customers.
- “Day Brightener” Recognition for Customers – On Wawa Day, associates from all 960-plus stores will honor one customer as their store’s official “Day Brightener” with special recognition to acknowledge the positivity they spread throughout their communities with the intent of inspiring others to do the same.
- $1 Million “Gift Cards for Care” Distribution to National Partners, Providing Immediate Food and Fuel Relief for the Communities – With a longstanding history of supporting its communities, especially in times of need, Wawa will donate a total of $1 million in gift cards to The Wawa Foundation’s National Partners and certain community partners, including American Red Cross, Check-Out Hunger, Children’s Miracle Network, JDRF, LLS, Special Olympics, USO and Meals on Wheels, to help them continue delivering much-needed services to their communities. Each organization will receive approximately $100,000 in gift cards in support of their fuel/food needs and family assistance programs.
- Limited-Time Beverage to Support Children’s Miracle Network – On Wawa Day, Wawa will unveil the limited-time “Day Brightener” Popping Bubbles Passionfruit Lemonade beverage. This unique creation was developed by Wawa mixologists and includes Wawa’s signature lemonade with a fizzy passionfruit twist. Wawa will make a $25,000 contribution to Children’s Miracle Network to support member hospital’s Child Life Services dedicated to making patient’s time at local hospitals a bit brighter!
- Celebrating the Launch of The Wawa Foundation: In April 2014, Wawa celebrated its 50th anniversary with the launch of The Wawa Foundation, a 501c (3) non-profit organization founded to encompass most of Wawa's charitable giving. Since the Foundation’s inception, Wawa and The Wawa Foundation have donated almost $120 million in support of causes related to health, hunger and everyday heroes. As part of this year’s Wawa Day celebration, The Wawa Foundation will announce two contributions of $1 million each to two of its National Partners.
- Check-Out Hunger – The Wawa Foundation will announce a contribution of $1 million to Check-Out Hunger to support Feeding America Food Banks operating in Wawa’s markets. Funds supporting Check-Out Hunger come from The Wawa Foundation’s in-store customer donation campaign.
- Special Olympics – The Wawa Foundation will announce a contribution of $1 million to Special Olympics to support programs for thousands of athletes involved with Special Olympics in NJ, PA, DE, MD, VA, FL and Washington, DC. Funds supporting Special Olympics also come from The Wawa Foundation’s in-store customer donation campaign.
- Check-Out Hunger – The Wawa Foundation will announce a contribution of $1 million to Check-Out Hunger to support Feeding America Food Banks operating in Wawa’s markets. Funds supporting Check-Out Hunger come from The Wawa Foundation’s in-store customer donation campaign.
About Wawa, Inc.
Wawa, Inc., a privately held company, began in 1803 as an iron foundry in New Jersey. Toward the end of the 19th Century, owner George Wood took an interest in dairy farming and the family began a small processing plant in Wawa, PA in 1902. The milk business was a huge success, due to its quality, cleanliness and “certified” process. As home delivery of milk declined in the early 1960s, Grahame Wood, George’s grandson, opened the first Wawa Food Market in 1964 as an outlet for its dairy products. Today, Wawa is your all day, every day stop for freshly prepared foods, beverages, coffee, fuel services and surcharge-free ATMs. Wawa stores are located in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Florida and Washington, D.C. The stores offer a large fresh foodservice selection, including Wawa brands such as custom prepared hoagies, freshly brewed coffee, hot breakfast sandwiches, specialty beverages and an assortment of soups, sides and snacks. Forbes.com Ranks Wawa as #29 of America’s Largest Private Companies in 2021 and #12 on Forbes 100 Halo List in 2022. For more information, visit us on www.wawa.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat at @wawa.
CONTACT: public.relations@wawa.com
