Melanoma Shot the Sheriff

I was going to post about hitting the last DE Wawa this past weekend...but this was way more interesting (no offense Delaware). Little known fact...Bob Marley did not die of lung cancer...but melanoma! I learned today that Bob Marley had a specific kind of melanoma called acral lentiginous melanoma that is commonly found on the palms of the hands, soles of the feet, and under the finger and toenails. Bob's must have gone unnoticed under his big toe, and spread to his lungs and brain. I read about this in Catherine Poole's (founder of Melanoma International Foundation) book entitled "Melanoma Prevention, Detection, and Treatment." Yale University Press 1998. A very informative and interesting read. RIP Bob.

I NEED TO VENT!

Okay. So I love Wawa. And I don't really like coffee. I'm not one of those people who drinks it every day, or even every week. But I LOVE Wawa's Kona coffee. So I go to buy one the other day in Malvern, and on the way in, my purse strap breaks and the whole thing falls on the ground. "Ugh, bad luck" I think, and let it go. Then I go to get my coffee, the one time in a blue moon that I get one, and don't see a carafe of Kona. My "bad luck" seems to be getting worse. Sometimes that happens, so I look to see if they're brewing more. Nope. I look down and notice Kona is no longer listed on their "menu" of coffees. WHAT???!!! What's going on here? Why is it gone? And kudos to Wawa for now stocking organic coffee, but WHAT HAPPENED TO KONA? IT WAS SO MUCH BETTER! The coffee guy behind the counter sees the pain in my face, and I asked him what happened to the Kona? He told me that everyone has been complaining; that it was their most popular flavor. He's hoping, just like me, that they bring it back.

So now I have a new mission: to find a Wawa, in those 25 or so left, that still has Kona (please, let there be one!)

No pain, no gain

Ann and I made another Wawa run yesterday. We discovered that as we get closer and closer to our goal, the process is becoming more difficult. We are traveling routes we've been before. We have to pass by several Wawas that we have already frequented. We sometimes drive up to one only to find that it is now a Pantry One. Some that we have already visited have since closed and a new bigger one has opened up across the street, so we go back. While it feels like it is slower going now, it is exciting! The pain in the process means that we are indeed approaching the finish line. On we go...

The Preston and Steve Show WMMR 93.3

Thank you for inviting us to the show. Your entire crew is incredible and we are grateful we were able to meet you all.

Publicity Thus Far.........

Daily Local (Sunday February 1st 2009)
http://www.dailylocal.com/articles/2009/02/01/news/local/doc4985a60055b72961836998.txt

Comcast On Demand (we are on until March)
To view our segment go to:
Get local-->Good Deeds--> Wawa2010

Fox News December 26th 2008 (we are only on for a minute)
http://www.myfoxphilly.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail?contentId=8150556&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=1.1.1

Main Line Magazine August 2008:
http://www.mainlinetoday.com/Main-Line-Today/August-2008/Coffee-for-a-Cure/

NBC 10:
http://video.nbc10.com/player/?id=237743

http://www.nbc10.com/health/15816230/detail.html

Philadelphia Inquirer:
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/pa/chester/nabes/17285464.html

Fox News:
http://www.myfoxphilly.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail?contentId=6091573&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=1.1.1

City Paper (Philadelphia):
http://www.citypaper.net/articles/2008/03/06/for-the-shortis

I am annoying

Yesterday at the Newtown Square Wawa, I performed the most irritating act. I handed the cashier 10 nickles, 33 pennies and 5 dimes. To the cashier's credit, he laid each coin on the counter and proceeded to add up the amount.

I normally know better than to present such an absurd quantity of change; but in my defense, I had lost my wallet and had no other means to make a purchase.

I was hated by about 10 people that day, but I wound up getting a 16 oz coffee out of the experience.

New Mile Marker Passed

After a full week of Wawa visits by Andi, Ann, and Mary, we have reached a new mile marker. We have passed the 500 mark! Our current total is 503 stores visited. Our completion is getting closer and closer.

Taking a few days off..........

Thursday evening into Friday, myself and driver/co-worker Jim Fry reached a record of 45 Wawas in New Jersey over a 24 hour span. The first 12 hours were fun as we listened to music, ate our favorite foods, and chatted. Once the Jersey beach traffic hit on the last leg of the trip, we couldn't get to our goal fast enough.

As we both recoup today after consuming 10 peppermint patties, 1 coffee, 3 bags of chips, 3 shorties, 2 milkshakes, 2 cow tails, 2 cheese sticks, multiple green teas and cereal, I can say that I know New Jersey inside and out....there are a surprising number of diners, traffic circles and produce stands.

*Jim, who drove me, was not allowed to purchase any items, since he is not 1 of the 5 participants.

Any official commitment?

Many people are wondering what Wawa Corporate has "committed" to. The answer to that is not simple, but I will explain:

• Wawa has not committed to anything in writing at this point.
• Wawa corporate has been extremely supportive of our travels.
• We, along with the Melanoma International, must apply for a grant from The Wawa Giving Fund.
• We are not asking for any type of monetary contribution from Wawa until we complete the mission.
• Once our mission is complete, we will be donating a "money spent" matching donation to MIF.
• We continue to visit Wawa's and are enjoying the thrill of the hunt for new ones.

More to come...

Thank you, NBC 10! Show

We had a great time yesterday as guests on the NBC 10! Show... It all started with our interview with Jamison Uhler, which aired last Monday the 7th on the NBC 10 "All That and More Show." After the story ran, we were contacted by a producer from the NBC 10! Show stating that he was interested in our story. Within 15 minutes, we were signed up and booked to be on the Monday April 14th show. We knew that it would be a good opportunity to gain support for our mission.

On the morning of the 10! Show, we walked into NBC studio and were then escorted to the "green room". They really do have green rooms, nuts! We were taken two by two to makeup, and after about 15 minutes of pure panic and blush, we were brought back to our waiting spot. Within 5 minutes, it was time to take the stage. The audience was very supportive and Hosts Bill & Lori were fabulous. I still can't get over how incredibly cool the entire staff at NBC 10 were. The microphone guy, the producers and editors were all great.

We were on stage for about 5 minutes and then that was it...the show finished taping and we were done and back to work we went. I don't think we even knew what we said, or what was asked of us. The show aired yesterday at 2:00 pm. and except for that fact that I was way too smiley, everyone did great.

Overall I rate my experience from yesterday as an A+. Despite the nervous banter in the green room, who could have asked for anything more?

More publicity for Melanoma International Foundation

Two new things to see:

http://www.nbc10.com/health/15816230/detail.html

http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/pa/chester/nabes/17285464.html

We are raising awareness... one wawa at a time!

Click below to see the interview by FOX News!

http://www.myfoxphilly.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail?contentId=6091573&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=1.1.1

We're making news!

First came the blog. Second came the map. Then we got placed on Preston & Steve's website. Now we have an email sent out about us to all subscribers to Melonoma International Foundation's email list. We are also going to be in the newspaper! Check out http://www.citypaper.net/articles/2008/03/06/for-the-shortis for the article. (or find the actual City Paper in Philly).

My love of wawa grows even more!

Okay. So I love wawa. LOVE IT! Here's why:

I went to the SuperWawa by my house the other night. I really wanted a hot mint tea (my favorite!) and of course, they were out. As I was looking around to see if they had the tea anywhere else, the manager asked if he could help me. He got me the tea bags, and I asked if they sold that type of tea. He said no, but he could work a deal with me. Then he said, "Do you come here often?" I almost burst out laughing! I responded politely, "Oh yes, I go to almost a Wawa a day". Then, he ended up giving me a few free mint tea bags! Just goes to show that Wawa is really good to their customers!

Into Focus

So as you can guess this whole mission started out as a kooky game amongst us...but there was something that our "mission" was missing. As we progressed and became more involved and did some more research of our own, we realized we were taking on something so unique and that there may be an opportunity to make this work on a philantrhopic level! Since day one we wanted to make this "mission" not only about fun and games, but also use it as a platform to raise funds for Melanoma awareness and education. Melanoma and cancer hits so close to home for all of us. In 2006 I lost one of my best friends to melanoma...she was only 25. Her name was Maria, and she grew up in West Chester with us. As we have more clearly defined our mission, we are really looking forward to working together not only with Wawa on a "funds spent" matching donation, but also with Melanoma International Foundation, an organization that provides hope, guidance,prevention education, power and much more to people throughout the world affected by melanoma. Please check out MIF's link on the right hand side, and see all the great things that they are doing.

Another insane Wawa map update!!!

Busy as always, the girls have visited 56 Wawas in the last two weeks! They are now over 70% complete and have upped their average receipt to over $3!

They only have 172 Wawas left to visit, and with 2 years remaining it seems like a very achievable goal.

Congratulations to Mary for breaking the 100 Wawas visited mark! Way to go, Mary!!!

Em is just 7 short of 100 and I'm sure she'll be passing that plateau very shortly. C'mon, Em!

Great work, girls!!

Night and Day Excursion

410 miles of travel later, myself and devoted driver, Jim Fry, completed our 36-Wawa-journey to New Jersey. Since New Jersey consists of 45% of all existing Wawas, we knew we had to whittle away at the Garden State this time around (opposed to the other states). Some of our featured spots on the night-time portion of the drive covered areas such as Bayville, Medford, New Egypt and Vincentown.

During the day-time section of our drive to Forked River and Toms River, my credit card company called stating that there were unusual charges made on my account. When the receptionist read off my frequent Wawa purchases, I soon realized how unusual it may appear to any credit card monitoring system. There were 12 different Wawa purchases made in the past two hours from 12 different stores! I know the credit card company is not the only one who finds this activity strange.

Jim, who drove me, was not allowed to purchase any items, since he is not 1 of the 5 participants.

Closed!?!

A few months ago, Ann and I were on a road trip through New Jersey. The route was carefully mapped out to ensure we hit as many as possible in a given area. We pulled up to our third stop and walked up to the door. Just as we got there, a worker came and locked it in our faces. “We are closed!” she stated. Closed??? A Wawa closed at 11 am? This was unheard of. They let out the remaining customers one at a time, and Ann and I did not budge. We watched several hopeful customers walk up to the door only to find it locked. They walked away disappointed, but we stood our ground. We had driven a far distance for this Wawa, and we were not about to leave with a stone unturned. Eventually, the workers started to realize that we were not going anywhere so they came to speak to us. We begged if we could run in and purchase just 1 thing. Finally, they agreed. I never worked so quickly. We bought a drink and were shooed out; however, we hadn’t been given a receipt. I was not moving! She grudgingly returned to the counter and printed out my receipt. We were reminded of an important lesson; this mission will require persistence, and this time our persistence paid off.

GPS....here we come New Jersey!

Ok ...so as you may know, New Jersey, particularly South Jersey is flooded with Wawas. We are expecting Ann to get a GPS for Christmas, which will clearly be the answer to all of our prayers (hey Jesus is the reason for the season). I think with the power of technology, and a few well planned out weekends, we could cross about 50 new Wawa's off our list this January. On a side note please keep your eyes peeled for an upcoming article about us in the CityPaper (Philly). Not sure of all the details- more to come! Let's GO TEAM...

Unfulfilling, yet necessary

Yesterday Emily and I spent 2 hours driving around Linwood Pa in order to cross two more Wawas off the list. We have gotten to the point where there aren't any Wawas in close proximity to our homes(that have not been reached); therefore, we are done the phase of quick Wawa trips.

To make us sound a bit more normal, we typically don't drive around randomly looking for Wawas. We are a bit more economical in that we often pair our Wawa outtings with trips we would naturally take, such as going to the NJ Shore.

However, days such as yesterday consisted of driving for no apparent reason other than having 2 less Wawas that need to be visitied in the future.

Central Jersey in Heels!

This weekend I will attempt yet another first...Since I will be heading to Central Jersey for a wedding ceremony at 2:00, with the reception set to start at 6:00. Jersey has proven to be our most challenging state yet, i figure if I throw a pair of 3 inch heels and a semi-disgruntled fiance into the mix i may be able to accomplish the impossible (or of course a complete failure.) Wish me luck...I'm shooting to hit 6 in an hour (remember heels and a dress.) Check my blog update next week.

Insane map update!

I've updated the map after Andi's insane road trip. Collectively, the girls have been to 48 Wawas in the last two weeks!!


As you can see, Andi pretty much took care of every remaining Wawa in Virginia... wow!

Also, I'll be working on some new blog features soon, as we've started to collect some other fascinating Wawa2010 data. More cool stuff to follow!

Roadtrip!

Hi I'm Andi, and I'm the slacker of the group. Well not really, it's just that I live in VA and not very close to any Wawas, which makes me sad. But I just got back from a fantastic roadtrip to southern Virginia where I visited 35 Wawas in 28 hours! Let me just say that I'm pretty tired, but I'm definitely NOT hungry and my gas tank is full. What more can you ask for? Not much, until tomorrow when I have a craving for (another) meatball shortie...

Stupidity

A few weeks ago myself and Mary were on Girard Ave. in Philadelphia at a ridiculously late hour attempting to get home. Right in front of the car, six gun shots went off and those on the street corner flew by our car. In stressful situations I always choose the "flight" response, which was obviously smart in this situation. I blindly put the car in reverse fearing that if I raised my head, a bullet would go through the window. Speeding off I was oblivious to the red lights I was passing through; yet, the car came to an abrupt stop when a Wawa sign appeared in front of me. We somehow made it over to Aramingo Ave and I was not going to pass up the opportunity to cross that Wawa off the list. Mary and I ran in and out of there in a matter of 1 minute. There is dedication and then there is stupidity....I think the decison to stop that night was the latter of the two.

Check out the map!!

Hello! I'm Kris, and I'm not breaking the rules.

Specifically:

"Wawa project 2010" -Rules of the Mission- >only the 5 established team members can play

Because I'm not really playing. Sure, I love Wawa. I've even been to a bunch. Even ones in different states. But none of that counts because I'm not a team member, so don't worry about it!

I've been helping out the ladies here on their mission by mapping all of their Wawa visits and by tabulating various interesting statistics about their progress.

Here are some of the cool things that the map can show you:

• When, where and who has visited a specific Wawa
• Overall progress- Wawas visited vs. Wawas remaining
  
• Which Wawas have been visited in the last two weeks (and who enjoyed their visit)
• Statistics about who has visited the most Wawas- by themselves, in groups, or a combination thereof
  

So, check out the map and follow along as they get closer to their goal of visiting every Wawa out there by 2010!

I'll be making improvements to this blog and to the map in the coming weeks and months, so keep checking back!

Wawa Progress

So it's been about 7 months since we started project Wawa2010. We had been really excited about prospects we thought were brewing with the Wawa Corperation; however, there seems to be little happening with Wawa. We have also heard about some guys in Jersey with the same idea, but it seems they have only gotten something like 7 wawas in a year. Ha! So yes, we will push on, but we definately need the support of our friends (or each other, we are still motivated!!!)

We are still hoping to some how incorporate raising money for cancer research into our mission. Perhaps raising a certain amount of money per wawa visited???

Progress report

It has been 5 months since this project began as a passing thought during a leisurely drive. Since then, it has taken on a life of its own. The five team members are dedicated and prepared for the hard work ahead. Here is our progress thus far:

-Wawas in all of the 5 states (DE, MD, NJ, PA, and VA) have been visited.
-We have visited 38% of DE Wawas, 66% of the ones in MD, 9% of NJ, 68% of PA, and 35% of VA. (New Jersey, here we come!)
-Each team member has been to a minimum of 40 Wawas thusfar.

AND IN 5 MONTHS, WE HAVE VISITED A TOTAL OF 212 DIFFERENT LOCATIONS!