Gas Station Fundraiser Tops $700K for Volunteer Firefighters

When you fill up your tank at Nittany MinitMart in Central or Northern Pennsylvania, you're doing more than fueling your car. You're helping keep volunteer firefighters ready to save lives.

The convenience store chain just launched the seventh year of its Fuel the Cause campaign, which runs through June 1. The program supports 42 volunteer fire companies across the region with the equipment, training, and resources they desperately need.

Here's how it works: For every gallon of gas sold in April and May, Nittany MinitMart and Pennsylvania Skill each donate one cent to local fire companies. Customers can boost their impact by rounding up purchases at the register, making direct donations in store, or ordering from a special Firehouse Foods menu.

Major brands are joining the effort too. Companies like Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Red Bull, Hershey's, and Herr's are all contributing to help keep communities safe.

The fundraiser addresses a growing crisis. Volunteer fire departments across America are seeing fewer volunteers and shrinking donations, even as they remain the backbone of emergency response in many communities. These firefighters show up on people's worst days without expecting anything in return.

"These are the people who show up on our hardest days," said Nicole Masullo, Senior Vice President of Nittany MinitMart. "Fuel the Cause is our way of showing up for them."

The Ripple Effect

Since launching in 2020, Fuel the Cause has raised more than $700,000. That money has funded essential equipment and tools that protect both firefighters and the communities they serve.

The campaign shows how small actions add up to massive impact. A penny per gallon might not sound like much, but when combined with customer donations and corporate support across 28 stores, it becomes a financial lifeline for departments struggling to stay operational.

Masullo says the community response inspires her team every year. Customers and vendors alike understand they're not just supporting firefighters but investing in their own safety and their neighbors' wellbeing.

Anyone can help by visiting their local Nittany MinitMart before June 1 to fuel up, round up, or donate directly to the heroes who protect their community.

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