Feature News

CITGO Q Mart and Jefferson Elementary School Support Salvation Army Toy Drive

SHEBOYGAN, Wis., Dec. 16 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- This holiday season, one local business woman is making it a family tradition to help provide some holiday joy to local children. Mel Krajniak, a manager at the South 8th Street CITGO Q Mart, and her 10-year old son Squire are collecting toys to donate to the Salvation Army's annual holiday toy drive. It's the fifth year Krajniak and her son have done charity work around the holidays and the need this year is greater than ever. That's why they've teamed up with colleagues at the South 8th Street CITGO Q Mart, Quality State Oil, and Jefferson Elementary School to fill as many Christmas wishes as possible.

"As a parent, I wanted to make sure that my son knew the true meaning of Christmas, so ever since Squire was little we've been doing something for charity as our way of sharing the joy of the holiday season," said Krajniak, who has worked at the CITGO Q Mart for 19 years. "This year, with the economy the way it is, the Salvation Army has been overwhelmed with requests and we felt that we needed to go the extra mile to make sure that all the names on the list got some holiday cheer."

Krajniak recruited colleagues at the CITGO Q Mart, which she manages, and local fuel supplier Quality State Oil, to help increase donations and add more drop-off points for toys and donations. Krajniak and Squire also asked teachers and students at Jefferson Elementary School to help and received overwhelming support for the program. Students in kindergarten through fifth grade have made Christmas tree ornaments which will be given as thanks to all those who donate to the program.

"As a thank you to Sheboyganites who are helping this effort, I went to every teacher Squire has had at Jefferson Elementary School and asked if they could help," added Krajniak. "The response was overwhelming and the ornaments are all lovely. People aware of the toy drive haven't needed much arm twisting, but these ornaments make it that much sweeter. And it really shows how the whole community wants to get involved and help."

"We're a close knit community here in Sheboygan and when one of our own puts this much effort into helping others, it's truly inspiring," noted Scott Stangel of Quality State Oil. "Mel and Squire have been running holiday programs for several years but this year it is really something else. This community has been hit hard recently but we hope to make Christmas morning a happier time for local families."

Donations of unwrapped toys or money donations are being collected at Krajniak's CITGO Q Mart Store at 1508 S. 8th Street or at Quality State Oil at 2201 Calumet Drive in Sheboygan. The deadline for donations is Friday, December, 19. Krajniak and her holiday helpers will deliver the toys to the Salvation Army for distribution on December 23.

    For additional information, please contact:
    Luke Dickinson
    Levick Strategic Communications for CITGO Q Mart and Quality State Oil
    Phone: 202-973-1328
    Cell: 202-294-3244
    Email: ldickinson@levick.com