Wawa Food Markets to Promote
Drunk Driving Prevention With HERO Campaign Promotion

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Columbus, NJ  –  Wawa Food Market stores throughout New Jersey will be supporting statewide efforts to prevent drunk driving as they begin a summer-long fund raising promotion for the HERO Campaign for Designated Drivers®.

Wawa was the first food store chain to adopt the statewide highway safety organization, established in memory of Navy Ensign John Elliott of Egg Harbor Township who was killed by a drunken driver in July, 2000.  Wawa will ask customers to contribute to the HERO Campaign through an in-store coin drop promotion now through August, and its "Stars" program, to be held for two weeks beginning July 4th weekend. Customers can donate $1.00 to have their signed blue and gold HERO stars mounted above the cash registers in all 250 Wawa stores.  

Last summer, Wawa stores in Ocean, Atlantic and Cape May counties raised
more than $10,000 for the non-profit organization through the sale of blue HERO wristbands. 

The HERO Campaign will use proceeds from Wawa to promote the use of sober designated drivers through television commercials, highway billboards, posters, car window decals, brochures and aerial banners flown over area beaches this summer. The campaign is active in schools and colleges in New Jersey; and in participating bars, taverns and restaurants which serve free soft drinks to sober designated drivers. The Philadelphia Phillies, New York Giants, NJ State Police, NJ Turnpike and Parkway Authority, Atlantic City Expressway and several Atlantic City casino hotels also have adopted the campaign. Middlesex County has declared itself a "HERO County" by adopting the program.

 “We are proud to support the HERO Campaign and its efforts to save lives and keep our highways safer,” commented Dave Yeager, senior director of store operations for New Jersey. "Our store managers and staff are excited about helping such a worthy cause and raising awareness for drunken driving prevention. The safety of our customers, associates and the community is a high priority for Wawa."

Bill Elliott, John Elliott’s father and founder of the HERO Campaign stated: “We appreciate Wawa’s support for our efforts to prevent future drunk driving tragedies in John's memory.  Drunk driving tragedies claim more than 17,000 lives and injure 350,000 more each year nationwide--and are totally preventable."

                  He added:  “The HERO Campaign is a positive legacy for our son. At the U.S. Naval Academy John was named the outstanding HERO (Human Education Resource Officer) for his service to his fellow midshipmen. Now the heroes will be the designated drivers who keep our highways safer in John’s memory.”

            For more information, the website address for the HERO Campaign for Designated Drivers is www.herocampaign.org, or call 1-866-700-HERO (4376).

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