TEMPLE, TX (May 13, 2011) – CEFCO Convenience Stores announced at its 10th Annual Hackers-R-Us Charity Golf Tournament May 10, 2011 that it has donated a grand total of $320,000 to Children's Miracle Network Hospitals, Central Texas College, McLennan Community College, and Meridian Community College.
CEFCO presented Children's Miracle Network Hospitals with a donation of $250,000, which is the single largest donation in CEFCO's 12-year association with the organization. This remarkable accomplishment was achieved through plus-selling custom CEFCO icons paired with an incentive that cross-promoted an improved fountain program and new cup design, as well as various grassroots fundraising activities.
"Our campaign gave sales associates an opportunity to talk to customers about improvements in our fountain soft drinks while raising funds for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals,” said Steve Keane, CEFCO Senior Vice President of Marketing.
The day was capped off with donations to C.E. Fikes Endowed Scholarships, which commemorate CEFCO's founder, Clarence Edison Fikes. The scholarships are available to students majoring in accounting, business administration, human resources, business information systems, marketing, and management. $25,000 donations were presented to McLennan Community College and Meridian Community College, while $20,000 was donated to Central Texas College.
"James and Kim Fikes and our entire leadership team are proud to be able to give back to the communities we service,” said Raymond Smith, Chief Operating Officer, Fikes Wholesale, Inc. "The C.E. Fikes Endowed Scholarships allow us to provide financial support to worthy students in our local markets. We extend our gratitude to our vendor partners and volunteers who helped make our annual charity event a tremendous success.”
In 1999, CEFCO began its partnership with Children's Miracle Network Hospitals with $700 raised in stores. CEFCO's 2011 fundraising total marks some exciting milestones for the organization. To date, CEFCO has raised $1,000,000 for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals and $245,000 for the various C.E. Fikes Endowed Scholarships.
"CEFCO is proud to be able to support the culture of community involvement and philanthropic efforts fostered by the Fikes family,” said Brett Giesick, Chief Retail Officer of CEFCO Convenience Stores. "These tremendous results do not happen without the tireless fundraising efforts of our store associates, and speak to the generosity of our customers, vendor partners, and employees.”
ABOUT CEFCO CONVENIENCE STORES
Temple, TX-based CEFCO Convenience Stores is the 57th largest chain in the convenience retailing industry, operating 122 stores in Alabama, Mississippi, and Texas and employing more than 1350 team members chain-wide. Since 1979, CEFCO has been committed to providing the best customer experience, every customer, every day, in every store. For more information about CEFCO's commitment to corporate responsibility, please visit www.cefcostores.com/community.
ABOUT CHILDREN'S MIRACLE NETWORK HOSPITALS
Children's Miracle Network Hospitals has grown dramatically since its founding in 1983 from a televised fundraiser in a small studio to one of North America's leading children's charities. As of 2011, Children's Miracle Network Hospitals has have raised more than $4.3 billion for 170+ hospitals—most of which is donated a dollar or two at a time. For more information, visit http://www.cmn.org/.
ABOUT CENTRAL TEXAS COLLEGE
Founded over 40 years ago, Central Texas College is a public, open-admission community college offering associate degrees and certificate programs in academic, professional and vocational/technical fields. With its main campus in Killeen, TX and over 100 other locations around the world, Central Texas College serves over 50,000 students on military installations, in correctional facilities, in embassies and on ships at sea. For more information, visit http://www.ctcd.edu/.
ABOUT MCLENNAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Located in Waco, Texas, MCC was established in 1965 by the citizens of McLennan County. MCC was the first junior college in Texas to incorporate the word "community" in its name. MCC has an average of 9,500 students enrolled a semester; about half are in workforce programs and half in arts and sciences. MCC employs approximately 800 personnel. For more information, visit http://www.mclennan.edu/.
ABOUT MERIDIAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Meridian Community College, located in Meridian, Mississippi, serves some 4,000 college credit students and another 4,000 in continuing education, community service and enrichment programs. In addition to a strong university transfer program, the College offers adult literacy and high school study programs leading to a GED diploma, one and two-year career programs in a variety of business, health and technology fields, a model workforce training program and a comprehensive business development center. For more information, visit http://www.meridiancc.edu/. 
