Casey’s has distributed more than $1.3 million in Cash for Classrooms grants to 100 kindergarten-12th grade public and nonprofit private schools across its 17-state footprint.
The annual program provides funding for physical improvements, classroom materials, teacher support and community engagement initiatives. The selected schools received individual grants of up to $50,000.
The 2026 grant cycle was funded by nearly $1 million in customer donations, $240,000 from Coca-Cola and $100,000 from Casey’s corporate contributions.
Since the program’s inception in 2020, the retailer has awarded 500 grants totaling more than $6.2 million to schools in its service area.
“Our purpose is to make life better for our communities and guests every day, and Cash for Classrooms allows us to do that by directly supporting teachers and students where Casey’s calls home,” said Katie Petru, director of PR, communications and community at Casey’s.
“We’re grateful to our generous guests, team members and partners who share our passion for this program and help increase the impact.”
Major projects funded this year include a $50,000 sensory-friendly playground for the West Liberty Community School District in Iowa and a $35,000 accessibility awning for Marshall County High School in Kentucky. Smaller grants were issued for art classroom furniture and fitness programs in Arkansas and Illinois.
The program uses in-store “round up” campaigns powered by Round It Up America to collect small-change donations from customers.
“Strong schools help build strong communities, and that’s core to who we are at Casey’s,” Petru said. “Our purpose is to make life better for our communities and guests every day, and Cash for Classrooms allows us to do that by directly supporting teachers and students where Casey’s calls home.”
Ankeny, Iowa-based Casey’s is the third-largest c-store retailer and the fifth-largest pizza chain in the U.S., operating about 2,900 stores. The company was recently added to the S&P 500 index.
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