Washington Fareway again leads fundraiser

WASHINGTON — Staff of the Fareway store on North Marion Avenue led the pack for the second year in a row in the grocery chain’s fundraiser with the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital. In the two weeks before the Iowa vs. Iowa State football game, the store raised $7,380.14 for the Iowa Wave Shirt charity, out of the statewide $48,000 total.

The amount is more than that raised by any other of the state’s 120 the Fareway stores, matching the location’s leading position in a March fundraiser from the same group, which benefits the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital.

While the Washington store raised over $2,400 in a fundraising campaign earlier this year, their most recent success blew that record out of the water.

“This is such a special partnership, you can see how much they grew their donation again, to lead the entire Fareway chain,” Iowa Wave Shirt Co-founder Meighan Phillips said. “The way that this store and this community embraced the Iowa Wave Shirt … has been so moving to us, and you can tell it’s become personal.”

Some of that money came from larger donations, according to Fareway staff, with one customer donating $3,000 in single day. Grocery Manager Dave Waite said he applauded his team’s effort. The top four individual cashiers in the campaign were all located at the Washington store.

“The girls spent a good portion of the week really just getting after it and asking everybody to help,” he said. “And our customers really pulled through.”

Comments: Kalen.McCain@southeastiowaunion.com