WASHINGTON, April 23, 2026 — For people undergoing treatment for blood cancer, the hardest moments often happen between appointments: getting home after chemotherapy, finding something warm to eat, or reclaiming a small piece of normal life. This April, Blood Cancer United and Wawa came together to meet those moments head-on.
It’s been 62 years since Wawa opened its first retail location back in 1964. During this time, Wawa and The Wawa Foundation have donated an astounding $200 million to their national charity partners, including Blood Cancer United!
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We met up with the Wawa community on April 16, Wawa Day, to help show our support for its long-standing commitment to community care. As part of that celebration, Wawa once again provided Wawa gift cards directly to blood cancer patients, helping ease everyday burdens during treatment and recovery.
Unlike traditional philanthropy or corporate giving, this initiative focused on immediate, practical support…the kind that matters most when energy, time, and resources are stretched thin.
“After 48 days in the hospital, the Wawa gift card helped provide meals when I was too weak to make food for myself,” shared one multiple myeloma patient.
For many recipients, the impact wasn’t about the dollar amount; it was about relief, timing, and a sense of being supported in everyday moments.
“After a five‑hour chemo session, that Wawa stop meant everything,” said Roxanne.
Others described something harder to quantify but just as meaningful: a brief return to routine and familiarity during an otherwise unpredictable stretch of life.
“It gave me a sense of normalcy—a hoagie, a moment that felt like life before cancer,” said Paulette.
Our collaboration reflects a shared belief between Wawa and Blood Cancer United that support should be both meaningful and accessible. Whether it was a cup of coffee, a hot meal, or a familiar place to pause, these small gestures carried outsized significance for patients navigating long days of treatment and uncertainty.
“Wawa understands that community support isn’t abstract—it’s local, personal, and immediate,” said Coker Powell, EVP & Chief Revenue Officer at Blood Cancer United. “This partnership showed what it looks like to show up for people in the moments that matter most.”
Blood Cancer United works every day to ensure patients and families affected by blood cancer have access to emotional support, financial assistance, and practical resources—at no cost. Partnerships like this one help extend that mission beyond hospital walls and into the everyday realities patients are living through.
As Wawa celebrated another year of service, Blood Cancer United was proud to stand alongside a partner that continues to turn milestones into action—and compassion into something tangible, right when it’s needed most.
About Blood Cancer United®
Blood Cancer United® (formerly The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society) is the largest global nonprofit focused on blood cancer patient support, research, and advocacy. Since its founding in 1949, the organization has consistently evolved to better serve people affected by all 100-plus types of blood cancer. Blood Cancer United funds innovative research, offers free resources and personalized support, and advocates at the state and national levels for more accessible and affordable healthcare for all patients. To learn more, visit www.BloodCancerUnited.org. Connect with the organization on Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok and Threads.
About Wawa
Wawa, Inc., a privately held company, began in 1803 as an iron foundry in New Jersey. Toward the end of the 19th Century, owner George Wood took an interest in dairy farming and the family began a small processing plant in Wawa, PA in 1902. The milk business was a huge success, due to its quality, cleanliness and “certified” process. As home delivery of milk declined in the early 1960s, Grahame Wood, George’s grandson, opened the first Wawa Food Market in 1964 in Pennsylvania as an outlet for dairy products. Today, Wawa is your all day, every day stop for freshly prepared foods, beverages, coffee, fuel services and surcharge-free ATMs. Wawa stores are located in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Florida, North Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, and Washington, D.C. with 1,200 locations to date. The stores offer a large fresh foodservice selection, including Wawa brands such as custom prepared hoagies, freshly brewed coffee, Sizzli hot breakfast sandwiches, hand-crafted specialty beverages, a dinner menu including burgers and an assortment of soups, sides and snacks. Forbes.com Ranks Wawa as #22 of America’s Largest Private Companies.