Pilot Raised Nearly $11.5 Million for Heart Health

The company reached the fundraising milestone following its participation in the 2026 Greater Knoxville Heart Walk.

Updated on Sept. 21, 2026 in Philanthropy

A glass bowl filled with red paper hearts sits on a wooden counter, highlighting community fundraising efforts for heart health. — Pilot raised nearly $11.5 million for the American Heart Association through long-term customer fundraising initiatives, directly funding local CPR training efforts. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Pilot has raised nearly $11.5 million for the American Heart Association over the past nine years. The funds were collected through in-store customer donations and seasonal fundraising campaigns.

Why it matters

The contributions help advance heart health and stroke awareness education in local communities. This support has directly enabled CPR training for more than 200,000 people in Knoxville.

Pilot operates more than 900 locations across 43 states and five Canadian provinces, serving 1.2 million guests daily. The company manages this footprint with a workforce of approximately 30,000 team members.

The players

Pilot

Pilot is a Knoxville-based company that operates a large network of travel centers.

American Heart Association

The American Heart Association is a non-profit organization focused on cardiovascular health and CPR education.

The details

Customers participate in the fundraising efforts by rounding up their purchases to the nearest dollar or purchasing paper hearts at registers. Campaigns are specifically held during Heart Month in February and Stroke Month in May.

2017: Pilot began its multi-year support of the American Heart Association.
February: The company holds its annual Heart Month fundraising campaign.
May: The company holds its annual Stroke Month fundraising campaign.
September 12, 2026: Pilot participated in the Greater Knoxville Heart Walk.

Market Landscape

This effort aligns with the American Heart Association's corporate workplace health initiatives, which emphasize private-sector partnerships to improve community health outcomes. The scale of this fundraising mirrors a broader industry trend where large retail chains leverage their massive transaction volumes to support non-profit programming.

Customers at Pilot locations may be prompted to round up their purchases to support future heart health initiatives. These micro-donations directly fund localized CPR training programs and stroke awareness education in their own communities.

The takeaway

Retail-based fundraising campaigns provide a consistent revenue stream for non-profits while engaging millions of daily guests. Consumers looking to support local health initiatives can participate through routine checkout prompts at major service chains.