7-Eleven encourages children to be good citizens and helps law enforcement officers to build a strong relationship with the community.
7‑Eleven, Inc. is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its Operation Chill incentive program. For two decades, this program has been used to reward children for doing good. The program includes U.S. police officers “ticketing” kids with Operation Chill FREE Slurpee drink coupons when they are caught doing good.
Through Operation Chill, officers from participating local police and sheriff departments can hand out the special free Slurpee citations during the summer and back-to-school season to youngsters caught in the act of doing good. Appropriate “offenses” might include helping another person, deterring crime or participating in a positive activity in the community. Each coupon can be redeemed for a small Slurpee drink at participating 7‑Eleven stores.
This year, 7‑Eleven will distribute up to 1.25 million Operation Chill coupons to approximately 885 local law enforcement agencies. Since the program’s inception in 1995, nearly 14 million coupons have been given to law enforcement agencies across the country where 7‑Eleven operates stores to award to kids in their communities.
“I don’t know who likes the Operation Chill program more, police officers or kids,” said Mark Stinde, 7‑Eleven’s asset protection vice president. “Police officers have told us they love to approach kids and surprise them with a Slurpee coupon, just for being good citizens.”
Operation Chill was developed by 7‑Eleven to reward and encourage good behavior by kids during the hot, summer months when communities often experience a rise in loitering, shoplifting and graffiti and to support law enforcement agencies’ community relations projects. Begun in Philadelphia to give local officers a positive reason to interact with children and teens, police not only use the Operation Chill program to reward youth for their good deeds, but also to enhance their relations with the young people of their city.
“For 20 years, Operation Chill has been rewarding kids for their good behavior being positive role models,” said Nancy Lear, 7‑Eleven senior manager of Corporate Social Responsibility and Community Relations. “Kids especially need to be recognized when they’re caught making the right or a good decision, not just when they mess up. Every year, more law enforcement agencies learn how Operation Chill helps community policing and interaction with their youngest citizens and have signed up. We hope they and 7‑Eleven can reach new generations with this frozen treat for years to come.”
Cities participating in this year’s program include: Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, San Diego, San Francisco, Orlando, Tampa, Dallas, Denver and Las Vegas.
7‑Eleven’s proprietary Slurpee semi-frozen carbonated beverage has generational appeal with slurpers both young and old. Approximately 750,000 Slurpee drinks are purchased each day during the summer at 7‑Eleven stores across the country.
