February 4, 2014
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Feb. 4, 2014
For more information,
Contact: Lauren Christ
Moxley Carmichael
(865) 544-0088
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Dan Fleming, vice president of operations for Pilot, presents a check for $30,100 to Major Albert Villafuerte, area commander for The Salvation Army in Knoxville, at the Pilot Food Mart at 1826 Western Ave. on Feb. 4. The funds to benefit The Salvation Army were raised during the holiday season through the sale of paper red kettles at Knoxville-area Pilot stores.
Pilot presented a $30,100 donation to The Salvation Army on Feb. 4 for the money raised through the support and donations of Knoxville customers during the annual Red Kettle Campaign.
With all proceeds benefiting The Salvation Army, paper red kettles were sold for $1 each to customers at all Knoxville-area Pilot Food Mart locations during the 2013 holiday season. The check was presented at the Pilot Food Mart at 1826 Western Ave.
“Selling paper red kettles has become a holiday tradition that our Pilot Food Mart team members look forward to every year,” said Dan Fleming, vice president of operations for Pilot. “Every year, we are amazed and humbled by the generosity of our customers throughout the greater Knoxville are. The entire team at Pilot is proud to present this donation on behalf of our customers and proud to support the tireless, important work that The Salvation Army provides to those in need in our community.”
The campaign serves as a major fundraiser for the charity, and since it began in 2008, Pilot customers have raised more than $200,000 for The Salvation Army. The donation will help Knoxville-area community members in need.
“It is only with the help of the community that we are able to accomplish The Salvation Army’s mission to do the most good,” said Major Albert Villafuerte, area commander for The Salvation Army in Knoxville. “Here in the Knoxville area, we help thousands of families and individuals each year in need of food, clothing, shelter, disaster relief and more.
“With the help of Pilot and the incredible generosity of the people of East Tennessee through the Red Kettle campaign, we will continue to serve our neighbors in need in 2014.”
About Pilot
Headquartered in Knoxville, Tenn., Pilot operates 40 convenience stores in Tennessee. For more information about Pilot, visit www.pilotflyingj.com.
About The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army, an evangelical part of the universal Christian church established in London in 1865, has been supporting those in need in His name without discrimination for more than 130 years in the United States. Nearly 30 million Americans receive assistance from The Salvation Army each year through a broad array of social services that range from providing food for the hungry, relief for disaster victims, assistance for the disabled, outreach to the elderly and ill, clothing and shelter to the homeless and opportunities for underprivileged children. 82 cents of every dollar The Salvation Army spends is used to support those services in 5,000 communities nationwide. For more information, go to www.salvationarmyusa.org.
