Special Olympics athlete and Global Messenger Carl Hibbert, Jr., of Raleigh, accepted a $2,500 donation from Sheetz company vice president Travis Sheetz on September 2 during the grand opening of Sheetz’s newest North Carolina location on North Wesleyan Blvd.  in Rocky Mount.      

The store is the third new location to open in 2010 in North Carolina with Special Olympics North Carolina also receiving $2,500 at grand openings in Kernersville and Rocky Mount earlier in the year.  Hibbert was joined by SONC president/CEO Keith L. Fishburne and senior vice president of finance and development Olivia Laney at the grand opening.

“Sheetz has a long history of supporting Special Olympics in the states where they do business and we’re grateful they support our Special Olympics athletes here in North Carolina,” said Fishburne.   

Sheetz is a bronze level statewide partner of Special Olympics North Carolina and the NC Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics for providing  important funding and donated meals to SONC throughout the year for various state level competitions throughout North Carolina. 

Laney explained the Sheetz support extends throughout the year with donated meals at qualifier competitions across North Carolina,  involvement in the Torch Run Plane Pull held annually in April at Raleigh/Durham International Airport and more than 2,500 lunches donated at the SONC Summer Games held annually in Raleigh/Cary in June. 

Sheetz began supporting Special Olympics in 1991 in Pennsylvania, where the company has its headquarters.  Sheetz is involved with Special Olympics in all states where it has operations.  To date, Sheetz has given more than $2 million in financial and in-kind donations to Special Olympics in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio and North Carolina.  This newest store in Rocky Mount is North Carolina’s 27th Sheetz location.