Some 300 Chevron company stations and 125 independently-owned retailer stations in California joined to raise funds for St. Jude.

Over the past 10 years Chevron has raised $11 million for charities.

Most recently, Chevron completed a fundraising campaign for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in October and it welcomed independently-owned stations in California to join in the fundraising efforts.

About 300 of Chevron’s company stations participated in store campaigns to help raise funds for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, which is based in Memphis, Tenn., and works with hospitals around the country.

Chevron’s company stations typically raise between $500,000 and $600,000 a year for St. Jude but for the first time, Chevron’s St. Jude campaign was extended to 125 independently-owned-retailer stations in California, with plans to add more in the future.

The St. Jude facility, focused on finding cures and treating children’s catastrophic diseases, has helped push the survival rate for childhood cancer from less than 20% in 1962 to more than 80% today.

“Without companies like Chevron we would not be able to keep our promise that no family pays St. Jude for anything, including treatment, housing and food. It’s our mission to lift the financial burdens, because all a family should worry about is helping their child live,” said Jane Dossett, St. Jude’s strategic partnerships account liaison.

“The success of the campaign at our company stations is an inspiration to our retailers. We are excited to expand this reach by working with them to raise even more money for such a worthwhile cause,” said District Sales Manager Barbara Harrison.

Chevron Raises $11 Million for Charities
Throughout the past 10 years, Chevron’s network of company-owned and operated retail stations has raised $11 million for charities, working with and bolstering communities across the West Coast. In recent years, its social investment program has focused on children’s health through collaborations with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, the McKenna Claire Foundation and Children’s Miracle Network.

In another show of support, Chevron sponsors St. Jude regional events, including its recent Miracles by the Bay annual gala in San Francisco. Additionally, the amount donated through Chevron’s employee giving campaign and matching program is increasing year-over-year, with nearly $300,000 donated in 2017. That number inspires Adrian Bendeck, general manager for Chevron’s company-station network, and yet he wants it to be even higher. “To date, $4 million has been donated to St. Jude through Chevron campaigns, and most of it has come from our consumers, who have responded very positively.”

David Wetzel, co-founder of the McKenna Claire Foundation, said, “Station employees wear so many hats, yet they take the time to ask their patrons to help fund pediatric cancer research. I know it’s not an easy thing to ask in the middle of a transaction, but when they do, whether it’s for our foundation or one of the others Chevron supports, that’s the moment they choose to be a part of the solution.”

Wetzel and his wife, Kristine, started the McKenna Claire Foundation in Southern California to bring awareness to pediatric brain cancer, help fund research and honor their seven-year old daughter McKenna, who lost her battle to brain cancer in 2011. During Chevron’s annual company-station network campaign in July, $313,000 was raised, bringing the seven-year total raised to $1.3 million.