Savannah, Ga.-based Parker’s, CStore Decisions’ 2020 Chain of the Year, recently donated $30,000 to Beaufort County Schools in South Carolina as part of the company’s Fueling the Community program, which donates one cent of every gallon of gas sold on the first Wednesday of each month to local schools.

A portion of the Parker’s donation funds the school district’s annual Support Person of the Year recognition program, which honors school nurses, social workers, bookkeepers, office managers, teacher assistants, school secretaries and technology and data specialists. Additional funds go to specific Beaufort County schools designated by Parker’s PumpPal customers when they purchase fuel on the first Wednesday of each month.

“At Parker’s, we believe in the power of education,” said Parker’s founder and CEO Greg Parker. “We know education has the ability to transform lives and to create opportunities right here in Beaufort County. We’re honored to give back to the Beaufort County community and to support hardworking teachers, staff and students during this challenging time.”

Launched in 2011 with a mission to give back to every community where Parker’s does business, the Parker’s Fueling the Community charitable initiative distributes more than $200,000 annually to public and private schools throughout Georgia and South Carolina.

The check was presented to Beaufort County Schools via Zoom video conference on Sept. 15 due to the CCOVID-19 pandemic. Superintendent Frank Rodriguez accepted the donation on behalf of the school district.

“This annual donation from Parker’s is a model of corporate generosity in support of children,” Rodriguez said. “This year takes us over the $130,000 mark since the company first included our district in its program six years ago.”