Press Release

Slurp4Good: A Cool Way to Help SoCal Military Families

9/5/2012

7-Eleven® Makes Donation to Operation Homefront for Every Slurpee® Drink Sold

SAN DIEGO – 7-Eleven, Inc. kicks off its new Slurpee® Slurp4Good fund-raising program in San Diego-area stores to raise money for Operation Homefront, a national nonprofit agency assisting military families. During September, every Slurpee beverage sold at participating 7-Eleven® stores will generate a donation at the register – 7 cents for each small drink and 11 cents for every medium and large cup, up to $25,000.

The neighborhood retailer is asking Southern California Slurpee-drinkers to help with an important mission – to fill the pantries of military families living in the Operation Homefront Village in Oceanside, Calif., near Camp Pendleton and Balboa Naval Medical Center. Funds raised in September will help provide food and home goods to 65 military families who will live in the residential units over the next two years.

Operation Homefront Villages are transitional housing facilities where wounded warriors and their families can live while the service member undergoes treatment and rehabilitation at a nearby military hospital. Opened in April 2011, the Southern California village in Oceanside is the third operated by the nationally recognized military nonprofit agency. Others are located in San Antonio, Texas, and Gaithersburg, Md.

Each ADA-compliant, fully furnished apartment is offered to these wounded service personnel free of charge. While living in this transitional housing, families can receive career counseling, financial-planning classes, recovery support and help readjusting to civilian life. Support groups and planned outings assist in building a sense of community with the military residents.

“So many of our customers, not just in southern California, but across the country are active or former military, family members or have military ties,” said Tom Lesser, 7-Eleven zone leader for the Pacific Desert area.

“7-Eleven has been recognized as a military-friendly company because of our discounted franchisee program for former military, hiring practices and charitable focus on military families. Operation Homefront seemed like a natural choice to launch 7-Eleven’s first Slurp4Good campaign.”

“7-Eleven is a neighborhood institution across America, and we appreciate its neighbor-to-neighbor approach to supporting our Wounded Warrior families,” said Jim Knotts, president and CEO of Operation Homefront. “By buying a Slurpee during September, Southern California 7-Eleven customers can help their Wounded Warrior neighbors put food on the table for their families while they rehabilitate from their injuries.”

A 501(c)3 nonprofit organization founded 10 years ago, Operation Homefront provides emergency financial, housing and morale assistance to service members from all branches of service, the families they leave behind and the wounded warriors when they return home.

Charity Navigator, a national charity watchdog organization, has awarded Operation Homefront a four-star rating, its highest ranking, for six consecutive years. The military aid organization also holds an “A” rating from the American Institute of Philanthropy and is accredited by the Better Business Bureau.

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About 7-Eleven, Inc.
7-Eleven, Inc. is the premier name and largest chain in the convenience retailing industry. Based in Dallas, Texas, 7-Eleven operates, franchises or licenses approximately 9,400 7-Eleven® stores in North America. Globally, there are some 47,600 7-Eleven stores in 16 countries. During 2011, 7-Eleven stores worldwide generated total sales close to $76.6 billion. 7-Eleven has been honored by a number of companies and organizations recently. Accolades include:
#2 on Forbes magazine’s 2011 list of Top Franchises for the Money; #3 spot on Entrepreneur magazine’s Franchise 500 list for 2012, #3 in Forbes magazine’s Top 20 Franchises to Start, and #2 in Franchise Times Top 200 Franchise Companies. Hispanic Magazine named 7-Eleven among its Hispanic Corporate Top 100 Companies that provide the most opportunities to Hispanics. 7-Eleven received the 2010 Retailer of the Year honor from PL Buyer because of the company's private-label brand initiative. 7-Eleven is franchising its stores in the U.S. and expanding through organic growth, acquisitions and its Business Conversion Program. Find out more online at www.7-Eleven.com.