Dundalk winner at ECR Heroes Awards

Colin Fee and Paddy O’Hanlon of Maxol Dublin Road and Seaview, Dundalk emerged as the winners of the Heroes for the Community category in the ECR Heroes Awards, which celebrate and honour the standout heroes across the Irish grocery sector.

The ECR Heroes Awards took place on Thursday 30 June in the beautiful surrounds of the Keadeen Hotel, Co. Kildare. Shortlisted individuals and teams from all over the country came together to celebrate and honour the standout heroes across the Irish grocery sector who deserve to be celebrated for their contribution to both the industry and the communities they serve. 

Shortlisted nominees were required to submit a video giving an insight into their contribution in terms of the award they were nominated for and these were showcased on the day, before a winner was selected for each category as well as an overall winner.

In the Heroes for the Community category Colin Fee & Paddy O’Hanlon of Maxol Dublin Road and Seaview, Dundalk emerged as the winners through their amazing work in the local community ranging from defibrillator installations and local sport sponsorships to raising funds for numerous charities and supporting local causes. 

Each month the teams at Maxol Dublin Road and Seaview choose a new local charity to support and fundraise for. Once the charity is chosen, the teams facilitate bucket collections in the stores and place buckets around the store and ask customers to contribute what they can. To make customers aware they share information about the charity on the store's Facebook pages and promote the partnership through point-of-sale advertising in-stores and on the forecourts. 

A recent example of the community work was a fundraising campaign he organised to raise money for Breast Cancer Ireland. Throughout May, 50 cent from each sale of Maxol's pre-packed sandwiches and salads at the service stations was donated to the charity. The initiative raised over €2,000 and helped encourage customers to get involved in Breast Cancer Ireland’s 100km challenge. 

ECR Ireland was established in 1998 to promote the development & adoption of better practices for joint retailer/supplier initiatives. A not for profit organisation, they encourage long-term co-operation between trading partners to better serve the Irish consumer and drive costs out of the supply chain. This is achieved through development of industry best practices, promotion of their adoption and providing education and guidance on key demand side and supply chain issues. ECR is comprised of a selection of retailers and suppliers operating in Ireland across the food, drink & grocery, pharmacy and hardware sectors.