Warwick ShopRite hosts unveiling Cheerios box ceremony for fifth consecutive year
Warwick. $500 presented to Ecumenical Food Pantry.
Warwick /
| 22 Mar 2021 | 08:00
Store Manager Tom Donahue presented a check for $500 to Glenn P. Dickes, director of the Warwick Ecumenical Food Pantry. From left, Glenn P. Dickes, director of the Warwick Ecumenical Food Pantry, winner Gabriella Tapia. Store Manager Tom Donahue and Michael Schoendorf, vice president of ShopRite Operations. Winner Nicholas Jackson was not available for the photograph. Photos by Roger Gavan.
Winner Gabriella Tapia points to her photo, which appears on the back of thousands of editions of special-edition Cheerios boxes.
Warwick ShopRite customers may see a couple of familiar faces on Cheerios boxes when they visit the store.
Employees Gabriella Tapia, evening customer service manager, and Nicholas Jackson, a cashier, earned those honors after joining thousands of other ShopRite associates in a friendly competition sponsored by ShopRite and General Mills, manufacturer of Cheerios cereal.
The theme of this ShopRite Partners in Caring Cheerios Contest this year was “Ending Hunger Together.”
Associates working for ShopRite stores in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania collected donations at checkout and held other store sponsored events to raise awareness and money to fight hunger.
The one and one-half month-long campaign raised more than $1 million to support regional food banks in communities served by ShopRite stores.
Warwick ShopRite, which raised $17,192, was, for the fifth consecutive year, one of 45 winning stores eligible to choose two associates, like Tapia and Jackson, to appear on the back of thousands of editions of its 22nd anniversary special-edition Cheerios boxes.
On Thursday, March 18, representatives of the Hudson Valley Food Pantry and the Warwick Ecumenical Food Pantry joined corporate and local ShopRite and General Mills officials to celebrate the unveiling of the special-edition Cheerios box.
Steven Hildner, administrator of ShopRite Partners in Caring, served as emcee for the event, reported on the results of the contest and introduced guest speakers. .
In addition to corporate proceeds distributed to regional food banks, winning stores were also entitled to present additional gifts to local food pantries. And during the ceremony Store Manager Tom Donahue presented a check for $500 to Glenn P. Dickes, director of the Warwick Ecumenical Food Pantry.
“There is so much for us to be grateful for here,” said Dickes. “ShopRite of Warwick, the Partners in Caring program and store associates who, year after year, have raised so much money to fight hunger and food insecurity in our community. We are grateful, as well, for members of the community who directly support us so generously. The check I received today from Partners in Caring surely will help.”
- Roger Gavan