Front row:  Mike Mulhern of ExxonMobil Fuels Marketing, Jan Vineyard of OMEGA WV, Christine Walls of ExxonMobil Fuels Marketing, Traci Nelson of OMEGA WV
Back row:  Heather Galloway of Make-A-Wish, J. C. Hanks  and Rick Mason of ExxonMobil Fuels Marketing, Michael Graney of One Stop, Eric Kraus of ExxonMobil and Bobbie Spear of Make-A-Wish.

The West Virginia Oil Marketers & Grocers Association (OMEGA), an organization representing convenience stores, independent grocers and petroleum marketers across West Virginia, in conjunction with the Make-A-Wish Foundation®, raised $156,131 to help grant the wishes of children suffering with life-threatening conditions, association representatives announced today.

Jan Vineyard, President of OMEGA, said, “If, through this campaign, we can put a smile on the faces of even a few children fighting through life threatening medical conditions, we will have accomplished our goal.  The strength and courage of these children is amazing.” 

Vineyard said that all the funds raised through the campaign will go to the southern and northern West Virginia Chapters of the Make-A-Wish Foundation and will be used solely to grant children’s wishes.

Wish stars were sold for one dollar at nearly 1,000 OMEGA-member convenience and grocery stores across the state from July 28 – Aug. 30.  Go-Mart, Inc. sold more than $20,000 in wish stars, alone.

In addition, a golf outing was held at Glade Springs Resort on Thursday, September 25 where many corporate sponsors, such as Little General Store, Inc., ExxonMobil, Petroleum Products, One Stop, Sledd Company and EBY-Brown Company, LLC, donated tens of thousands of dollars to the cause. 

Heather Galloway, Regional Manager for Make-A-Wish Southern West Virginia, said, “When we meet a wish child, we ask them, ‘If you could go anywhere, be anything, meet anyone, or have anything…what would it be?’ When a child answers this question, a wish is born.  Through OMEGA’s help, many more children in our region will have the opportunity to answer those questions and experience the hope, strength and joy that comes with them.  We are very thankful for OMEGA’s participation.”

For additional information, contact Jan Vineyard at (304) 343-5500