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Robin, as a child I would walk through my own version of my “Hundred Acre Wood” and let my imagination take over. In the books, Christopher Robin is one of Winnie the Pooh’s best friends and his other friends include Eeyore, Kanga and Roo, Rabbit, Piglet, Owl, and Tigger.
Growing up, my family had sheep, cows and pigs, and they were not just animals to take care of but friends who all occupied a special place in my heart. So many times, I would intentionally let myself get lost walking through our acres of land, day dreaming, problem-solving and growing up in my own special place.
In the second book, there are hints that Christopher Robin is growing up. In the final chapter, the inhabitants of the Hundred Acre Wood throw him a farewell party after learning he must leave, and it is implied that he will attend boarding school. This year, I announced that I
would officially be retiring from my role as Chairman of Wawa, but like Christopher Robin, I will never really leave my friends, who are every single one of you who make up our Wawa Family. And like Christopher Robin, I know that every one of you will continue our great traditions of living our Six Core Values and reinventing ourselves to get ahead of customers’ needs to continue our core purpose to fulfill lives every day.
When the book was published in 1926, we were operating as a milk plant, giving families and pediatricians peace of mind knowing
that our milk was safe to drink. In 1961, Walt Disney Productions
turned “Winnie the Pooh” into a series of features that would eventually become one of its most successful film franchises. The films introduced Winnie the Pooh to a whole new world of audience members and families, all who delighted in the timeless themes they could connect with in their hearts.
After transitioning to a dairy and three years after the Disney release of Winnie the Pooh, Wawa opened our first convenience store in Folsom, PA, forever changing the convenience retail business. Today, Winnie the Pooh is not just a treasured children’s book and classic Disney movie, it lives on in TV shows, board games and even a preschooler app available on iPads. Today, we too, have reinvented ourselves through catering, delivery, mobile ordering, and so much more.
We continue to transcend the bounds of a typical convenience store by connecting with customers, Associates and communities through a recipe built on our Values as timeless and lasting as Winnie the Pooh itself.
It has been an honor to serve as your Chairman for over 50 years. As Christopher Robin said to Pooh, “One thing you should know, no matter where I go, we’ll always be together.”
Dick Wood, Chairman Emeritus
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