CST Brands, a Fortune 500 convenience chain based in San Antonio, wrapped up its second annual signature fundraising event in San Antonio on Saturday, a 10-city 5K run series called the Corner Store Country Run. The fifth race in the Country Run series was held in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania on Aug. 22 at the Stabler Arena/Goodman Campus of Lehigh University.
CST Brands is the parent company of Corner Store and owns the general partner of CrossAmerica Partners, a wholesale fuel distributor based in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
The Country Run raised a net total of $1.4 million for Big Brothers Big Sisters in the U.S. and Canada and local children’s charities in each of the ten race markets. Revenue was raised from participant registrations, sponsors such as Aquafina, Dunne Manning, Inc., ExxonMobil, BP, Freedom Valu and Stop-In stores, and Corner Store customers who donated at the register in participating locations. For a full list of sponsors, visit CornerStoreRun.com/sponsors.
On Saturday, Corner Store CEO Kim Lubel presented a check for $750,000 to representatives from Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, the world’s largest donor and volunteer-supported mentoring network. An additional $450,000 will go to various children’s charities in each market. In Canada, the run raised $235,000 for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Montreal and other charitable causes.
In the Lehigh Valley, the run donated $45,000 to Big Brothers Big Sisters Lehigh Valley, $10,000 to Boys and Girls Clubs of Allentown, $10,000 to Community Action Committee of Lehigh Valley, $10,000 to Boys and Girls Clubs of Clinch Valley Roane County Unit, $10,000 to Muscular Dystrophy Association – Roanoke, VA/Richmond, VA Region, and $10,000 to Big Brothers Big Sisters Midwest and Far West Regions.
“Unique programs like the country-themed 5K are what keep our audiences engaged and what help draw in new BBBS supporters,” said Susan Bartels, CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters Lehigh Valley. “The Corner Store Country Run is an ideal example of a fun, attractive program that supports our ongoing efforts of mentoring at-risk children.”
The first Country Run kicked off in Montreal, Quebec on June 20 and ended in San Antonio on Saturday, stopping along the way in Denver, Katy, Syracuse, Lehigh Valley, Fort Worth, Round Rock, Little Rock and Phoenix. This year, Corner Store added Syracuse, New York to the roster after acquiring Nice N Easy Grocery Shoppes and Lehigh Valley after acquiring the general partner of CrossAmerica Partners, a wholesale fuel distributor headquartered in Pennsylvania.
From beginning to end, the series attracted more than 36,000 registrations and generated more than 300,000 mentions on social media of the official #CountryRun2015 hashtag.
The course was farm-themed with hay bales, tractors and giant inflatable cows, pigs and chickens, and participants dressed in Western wear, overalls and cowboy hats. After the race, participants were treated to a free country fair with live music, beer garden, food, carnival games and giveaways.
“Now in its second year, we see people coming back and bringing their friends and family because they absolutely love this race,” said Kim Lubel, CEO and Chairman of CST Brands, Corner Store’s parent company. “We hear from many of the participants that this is the first 5K they have completed with their children, or it was the first race they ran in 20 years. In addition to the money we raise, we know the event itself is making a difference in people’s lives. It is the perfect platform to engage our employees, our customers, our sponsors and our communities for a great cause.”
This year, Corner Store chose 16 employees to serve as Wellness Warriors for their geographic location, equipping them with a Fitbit and a fitness coach to help them lead a healthier lifestyle. The company brought all 16 Warriors from around the nation to San Antonio to run in the final 5K of the series.
Official Event Hashtag: #CountryRun2015
Facebook: Facebook.com/cornerstorerun
Twitter: Twitter.com/cornerstorerun
Instagram: Instagram.com/cornerstorerun
About CST Brands and Corner Store:
CST Brands, Inc. (NYSE: CST), a Fortune 500 Company, is one of the largest independent retailers of motor fuels and convenience merchandise in North America. Based in San Antonio, Texas, CST employs over 14,000 Team Members at approximately 1,900 locations throughout the Southwestern United States, New York and Eastern Canada offering a broad array of convenience merchandise, beverages, snacks and fresh food. In the U.S., CST Corner Stores proudly sell fuel and signature products such as Fresh Choices baked and packaged goods, U Force energy and sport drinks, Cibolo Mountain coffee, FC Soda and Flavors2Go fountain drinks. In Canada, CST is the exclusive provider of Ultramar fuel and its Dépanneur du Coin and Corner Stores sell signature Transit Café coffee and pastries. CST also owns the general partner of CrossAmerica Partners LP, a master limited partnership, and wholesale distributor of fuels, based in Allentown, Pennsylvania. For more information about CST, please visit www.cstbrands.com.
About Big Brothers Big Sisters:
Big Brothers Big Sisters, the nation’s largest donor and volunteer supported mentoring network, holds itself accountable for children in its program to achieve measurable outcomes such as educational success, avoidance of risky behaviors, higher aspirations, greater confidence and better relationships. Partnering with parents/guardians, schools, corporations and others in the community, Big Brothers Big Sisters carefully pairs children (“Littles”) with screened volunteer mentors (“Bigs”) and monitors and supports these one-to-one mentoring matches throughout their course. The Big Brothers Big Sisters Youth Outcomes Survey substantiates that its mentoring programs have proven, positive academic, socio-emotional and behavioral outcomes for youth, areas linked to high school graduation, avoidance of juvenile delinquency and college or job readiness. This mission has been the cornerstone of the organization’s 110 year history. With 313 agencies across the country, Big Brothers Big Sisters serves nearly 200,000 children, their families and 200,000 volunteer mentors. Learn more at www.BigBrothersBigSisters.org.
About Big Brothers Big Sisters Lehigh Valley
Since 1970, Big Brothers Big Sisters Lehigh Valley has operated under the belief that inherent in every child is the ability to succeed and thrive in life. Big Brothers Big Sisters, the nation’s largest donor and volunteer supported mentoring network, holds itself accountable for children in its program to achieve measurable outcomes, such as educational success; avoidance of risky behaviors; and higher aspirations, greater confidence and better relationships. Partnering with parents/guardians, schools, corporations and others in the community, Big Brothers Big Sisters carefully pairs children (“Littles”) with qualified, trained, and screened volunteers (“Bigs”) and monitors and supports these one-to-one mentoring matches throughout their course.
In the 2013-2014 fiscal year, Big Brothers Big Sisters Lehigh Valley, a United Way Partner Agency, served 327 Lehigh and Northampton County children in one-to-one mentoring relationships.
Big Brothers Big Sisters provides children facing adversity, often those of single or low-income households or families where a parent is incarcerated or serving in the military, with strong and enduring, professionally supported one-to-one mentoring relationships that change their lives for the better, forever. This mission has been the cornerstone of the organization’s 100-year history. The organization is engaged in a nationwide search to reunite with alumni mentors, mentees, donors, and family, staff and board members. Learn how you can volunteer or donate—visit www.bbbslv.org.
Information Provided By:
National Media Contact: Melissa Ludwig, The DeBerry Group
(210) 380-0733; Melissa@thedeberrygroup.com
Local Media Contact: Susan Bartels, CEO, Big Brothers Big Sisters Lehigh Valley
610-391-1827, sbartels@bbbslv.org
