CHARLESTON, S.C. – Parker’s – a nationally acclaimed convenience store company and food service leader that was named the 2020 Convenience Store Decisions Chain of the Year – recently donated a record $20 million to support charitable initiatives throughout the company’s corporate footprint.
The Parker’s Community Fund will support a range of charitable causes across the region. A new Community Impact Committee is being formed to make decisions about how to allocate the funds strategically in order to make the biggest impact.
“At Parker’s we have a profound commitment to giving back to the communities that have supported us over the years,” said Parker’s founder and CEO Greg Parker, who was recently inducted into the Convenience Store Hall of Fame. “This initial gift of $20 million is the beginning of a fund that we intend to grow. The new Parker’s Community Fund will allow us to make an even bigger impact in the future, supporting important causes that matter most to our customers.”
Known for its longstanding commitment to charitable giving, Parker’s is one of the most generous companies in the convenience store industry and in the Southeast. In recent years, Parker’s endowed the Parker’s Emergency and Trauma Center at Memorial Hospital in Savannah, Ga., and made a record $5 million donation to name the Parker College of Business at Georgia Southern University, supporting the next generation of business leaders in Georgia.
In addition, the company’s acclaimed Fueling the Community charitable giving initiative gives back to every community where Parker’s does business. A percentage of the gas sold at all Parker’s locations on the first Wednesday of the month is donated to the Fueling the Community program, supporting education, healthcare and other important causes.
“We have a strong commitment to the Palmetto State and are incredibly grateful for the support of our customers in Charleston, Moncks Corner, Goose Creek, Summerville, Walterboro, Hardeeville, Bluffton, Hilton Head, Beaufort and Port Royal,” said Parker. “We look forward to making an even bigger charitable impact in South Carolina in 2021 and beyond.”
Since its founding in 1976, Parker’s has grown from a one-store operation in Midway, Ga. to an award-winning, 68-store company with state-of-the-art convenience stores located throughout Georgia and South Carolina, serving delicious, award-winning Southern-inspired Parker’s Kitchen food that’s made from scratch on-site. Parker’s was recently named the 2020 Convenience Store Decisions Chain of the Year, which is the convenience store industry’s highest honor, and was voted one of America’s top 10 gas station brands by USA TODAY readers. The company also earned a 2020 Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice Award, which is presented to the top 10% of restaurants across the United States.
Parker’s has been included on the Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest-growing companies for five years and has been honored by Food and Wine as one of America’s Best Convenience Stores, by The Shelby Report as the Southeast Retailer of the Year and by Convenience Store News as the Foodservice Leader of the Year. The Parker’s Rewards loyalty program, which includes more than 210,000 members, has saved customers more than $15 million to date.
Currently celebrating its 45th anniversary, Parker’s stands apart as one of America’s most respected convenience store brands and is known for having the cleanest stores in the industry. The company serves award-winning Southern-inspired food, offers an acclaimed Parker’s Rewards program and gives back to every community where it does business through the Fueling the Community charitable giving program. Parker’s employs more than 1,200 individuals throughout the region and completes more than 125,000 transactions daily.
ABOUT PARKER’S:
Honored as the 2020 Convenience Store Decisions Chain of the Year, Parker’s is strategically redefining the nation’s convenience store industry, offering customers high-quality products, freshly prepared food and superior customer service at retail stores throughout southeast Georgia and South Carolina. Headquartered in Savannah, Ga., Parker’s has a commitment to exceeding customer expectations and has repeatedly been recognized as one of the nation’s leading convenience store and foodservice companies. Parker’s Kitchen, the popular food-centric brand under the Parker’s umbrella, serves world-famous hand-breaded Southern Fried Chicken Tenders as well as made-from-scratch mac ‘n’ cheese, a breakfast bar and daily specials. The company’s popular Parker’s Rewards loyalty program, which includes more than 210,000 members, has saved Parker’s customers more than $15 million to date. Learn more: www.parkerskitchen.com.
RECENT AWARDS AND ACCOLADES:
● Hall of Fame Inductee – Convenience Store News
● 2020 Best Gas Station Brand Top 10 – USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards
● 2020 Convenience Store Chain of the Year – Convenience Store Decisions
● 2020 Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice Award
● Legacy Leader – Georgia Trend
● America’s Best Convenience Stores – Food and Wine
● 2019 Southeast Retailer of the Year – The Shelby Report
● 2019 Fastest Growing Companies in America – Inc. 5000
● 2018 Convenience Foodservice Leader of the Year – Convenience Store News
● Top 10 U.S. Gas Station Brands – Gas Buddy
● 50 Most Influential People in Convenience Store History – Convenience Store News
● Best Convenience Store – Savannah Morning News Readers’ Choice Awards
● Best Convenience Store – Savannah Magazine Best of Savannah Awards
● Best Convenience Store – Statesboro Herald “Best in the ‘Boro” Awards
● Best Convenience Store – Bryan County Now “Best of Bryan” Awards
● Regional Economic Impact Award – Greater Bluffton Chamber of Commerce
● Best Convenience Store – Island Packet
● Most Fab Convenience Store – Effingham Herald
● Most Fabulous Gas Station – Effingham Living
● Wayne County’s Favorite Convenience Store – Jesup Press-Sentinel
Image: Parker’s founder and CEO Greg Parker, center right, recently presented a record $20 million donation to Savannah Community Foundation President Russ Simpson, center, to create the Parker’s Community Fund, which will benefit a wide range of charitable initiatives in coastal South Carolina and Georgia. Parker’s Chief Innovation Officer Eric Jones, Parker’s Chief of Staff Kate Smith, Parker’s President Jeff Bush, Savannah Community Foundation Board Chairman Stephen Leonard, Parker’s Chief Operations Officer Brandon Hofmann, Parker’s Chief Financial Officer Brian Prevatt and Parker’s General Counsel Blake Greco (l-r) also attended the check presentation ceremony.
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