S&S Food Stores, a 47-unit convenience operator in North Central Florida, has donated $74,536 to the Children’s Miracle Network at the University of Florida’s Shands Children’s Hospital, according to the Lake City Reporter.

S&S Food Stores/Scaff’s Markets donated the money during a two-hour program and lunch Thursday at Southern Oaks Golf and Country Club. It brings the total donations to Children’s Miracle Network from S&S Food Stores to more than $810,000.

The convenience store chain started donating to the cause in 1986, Margaret Friend, director of Annual Giving at Shands Children’s Hospital, told the Lake City Reporter.

Shands Children’s Hospital is the Children’s Miracle Network participating hospital for the North Central Florida, South Georgia and West Palm Beach areas.

Donations from 35 Florida counties and eight South Georgia counties Donors help fund Shands’ accepting any pediatric patient, regardless of his or her ability to pay, Friend said. The money pays for life-saving equipment, research and patient education materials.

The fundraising at S&S included stores meeting or exceeding goals. Forty-two of the 47 stores raised $850 or more. Thirty stores brought in more than $1,000, according to the Lake City Reporter.

Store number 38 took the lead in fundraising by brining in $6,455.

The Thursday meeting also included the recognition of S&S employees for their years of service. The 2008 S&S Food Store Employee of the Year was Joyce Foley, a cashier who was also S&S’ Employee of the Month in April.