'We See You. We Thank You.' Convenience Stores Nationwide Honor First Responders During Annual 24/7 Day

Business Wire

9 hours ago

ALEXANDRIA, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--On Thursday, July 24, the U.S. convenience store industry will unite for the seventh annual 24/7 Day, a nationwide celebration recognizing everyday heroes—including first responders, EMTs, doctors, nurses, 9-1-1 professionals and American Red Cross volunteers—who serve our communities around the clock. Organized by the NACS Foundation, the day offers a visible show of gratitude from an industry also known for its 24/7 support of communities.
Convenience stores act as lifelines in times of crisis—offering first responders a place to assess emergency situations, recharge, reconnect and stay fueled. This celebration is about honoring a shared commitment to the communities we both serve.
This year's theme 'We See You. We Thank You.' speaks to the often-unheralded work that first responders do—running toward disasters when others must evacuate or flee. The national 24/7 Day celebration raises awareness and recognizes these heroes from one of their largest supporters—convenience store retailers and industry suppliers. Across the country, more than 90 convenience retailing companies and brands representing 35,000 stores will have unique offers (such as free coffee, free meals or branded merchandise) for first responders and Red Cross volunteers in uniform or with a valid badge. The event will also raise awareness of and donations for the Red Cross.
As part of this year's celebration, the NACS Foundation debuted its First Responder of the Year Award program, honoring outstanding individuals who go above and beyond in service to their communities. The winner will be selected from nationwide nominations and receive free gas for a year, thanks to NACS Foundation partner GSTV. Like all the initiatives that are part of 24/7 Day, this specific spotlight for local heroes and their stories on a national stage gives the convenience store industry a meaningful way to thank and celebrate the people who keep their local communities safe every day.
'Convenience stores often serve as lifelines in times of crisis—offering first responders a place to assess emergency situations, recharge, reconnect and stay fueled,' said Kevin O'Connell, executive director of the NACS Foundation. 'This celebration is about honoring a shared commitment to the communities we both serve.'
Participating retailers each support 24/7 Day with a tailored offer to first responders. A full list of participants, as well as what each store is offering, is available at www.247day.org and a map sharing the location of each participating store in the country is at www.247Day.org/map.
This year, the celebration includes: 36 Lyn Refuel Station, Allsup's and Yesway, Car-Go Express, Casey's, CEFCO, CFCA, Circle K, Coen Markets, EG America brands (Certified Oil, Cumberland Farms, Fastrac, Kwik Shop, Loaf 'N Jug, Minit Mart, Quik Stop Markets, Sprint Food Stores, Tom Thumb, Turkey Hill Minit Markets), Enmarket, Estepp's, Fastime, FavTrip, G Spot, Gas N Wash, Good 2 Go, GPM Investment Brands (1-Stop, Admiral, Apple Market, BreadBox, Express Stop, E-Z Mart, fas mart, fastmarket, Flash Market, Handy Mart, Jiffi Stop, Jiffy Stop Food Marts, Li'l Cricket, Next Door Store, Pride, Quarles, R Store, Roadrunner Markets, Scotchman, shore stop, Town Star, UNCLE'S, Village Pantry, Youngs), High's, Hop Shops, Ideal Market, Kwik Trip, Loop Neighborhood Markets, Louisiana Truck Stop & Gaming Administration (Bigtop Travel Center, Coushatta Truck Stop, Houma Coteau Travel Plaza, I-220 Travel Plaza, Mansfield Travel Plaza, Opelousas 190 Truck Stop, Southern Belle Truck Stop, Quick Draw Travel Plaza, Waverly Truck Stop), Minuteman Food Mart, Mountain View Co-op, OnCue, On the Run, Onvo, Poppy Market, RaceTrac, Rmarts, Rutter's, Sheetz, Spinx, Sprint Mart, St. Romain Oil Co./Y-Not Stop, The Convenience Group, The Hub Convenience Stores, The Markets of Tiger Fuel Company, Thorntons, TXB, U-Stop Convenience Shops, United Pacific (Rocket and Alta Convenience), Wawa and the Wawa Foundation, and Weigel's.
Leading supplier brands like Anheuser-Busch, Keurig Dr Pepper, Reynolds American, and NENA are also joining the celebration through in-store activations, giveaways and national awareness efforts.
'Our continued partnership with the NACS Foundation and its member convenience stores is one of the strongest examples of how we ensure our incredible volunteers and other community heroes are recognized,' said Nathan Measom, director of national cause marketing for the American Red Cross. 'Whether it's responding to disasters, organizing blood drives or supporting families, our volunteers go above and beyond to serve others. Taking a moment to celebrate these everyday acts is incredibly important.'
The NACS Foundation invites the public to join in 24/7 Day celebrations by:
Spreading the word to first responders to visit participating convenience stores on July 24
Donating to the American Red Cross directly to support disaster relief funds
Share appreciation stories on social media using #247Day and #conveniencecares
About the NACS Foundation
NACS Foundation is the 501(c)3 charitable arm of NACS, the global industry association dedicated to advancing convenience and fuel retailing. In partnership with fuel retail, convenience and suppliers across the U.S., the NACS Foundation propels brighter futures by unifying and amplifying the philanthropic and charitable activities of the industry in communities across America. To learn more, visit conveniencecares.org, or visit us on Facebook at @ TheNACSFoundation and X at @ NACS_Foundation.
About NACS
For more than 60 years, NACS has been recognized as the premiere association for convenience and fuel retailers. NACS has more than 1,000 retail member companies that cumulatively represent more than 200,000 stores in 50-plus countries, including 90,000 stores in the United States alone. The U.S. convenience store industry, with more than 152,000 stores nationwide selling fuel, food and merchandise, conducts 160 million transactions daily and had sales of $837 billion in 2024. For more information, visit convenience.org. Follow NACS on LinkedIn, X, Facebook and Instagram.
About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or follow us on social media.