Corner Store’s Country Run 5K Series Raises $1.4 Million

Big Brothers Big Sisters and local children's charities will benefit from the 2nd annual racing event.

November 17, 2015

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS — CST Brands, parent company of Corner Store, wrapped up its 2nd annual signature fundraising event in San Antonio on Nov. 14, a 10-city 5K run series called the Corner Store Country Run. The final race took place at Freeman Coliseum Expo Hall with more than 10,000 participants. 

The Country Run raised a net total of $1.4 million for Big Brothers Big Sisters in the United States and Canada and local children’s charities in each of the 10 race markets. Revenue was raised from participant registrations, sponsors such as Aquafina, Coca-Cola, Valero and Dr Pepper/Snapple, and Corner Store customers who donated at the register in participating locations. 

From beginning to end, the series attracted nearly 37,000 registrations and generated more than 300,000 mentions on social media of the official #CountryRun2015 hashtag. 

At the event, Corner Store CEO Kim Lubel presented a check for $750,000 to representatives from Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. An additional $450,000 will go to various children’s charities in each market. In Canada, the run raised $235,000 for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Montreal and other charitable causes.

The first Country Run kicked off in Montreal, Quebec, on June 20 and ended in San Antonio on Nov. 14. Stops along the way included Syracuse, New York, which CST added to the roster after acquiring Nice N Easy Grocery Shoppes, and the Lehigh Valley area in Pennsylvania, after acquiring the general partner of CrossAmerica Partners.

The course was farm-themed with hay bales, tractors and giant inflatable cows, pigs and chickens, and participants dressed in Western wear, overalls and cowboy hats. After the race, participants were treated to a free country fair with live music, a beer garden, food, carnival games and giveaways.

“Now in its second year, we see people coming back and bringing their friends and family because they absolutely love this race,” Lubel said. “We hear from many of the participants that this is the first 5K they have completed with their children, or it was the first race they ran in 20 years. In addition to the money we raise, we know the event itself is making a difference in people’s lives. It is the perfect platform to engage our employees, our customers, our sponsors and our communities for a great cause.”

This year, Corner Store chose 16 employees to serve as Wellness Warriors for their geographic locations, equipping them with a Fitbit and a fitness coach to help them lead a healthier lifestyle. The company brought all 16 Warriors from around the nation to San Antonio to run in the final 5K of the series.  

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