The staff at Coles Fairy Meadow were recently named NSW Store Team of the Year for their customer service and outstanding contribution to the community.
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After raising more than $14,000 for charities, including Camp Quality's Convoy for Kids and Redkite, the Fairy Meadow crew was one of two in the state to win the Store Team of the Year award.
To raise funds for the community, the Coles team at Fairy Meadow introduced creative and interactive fund-raising activities for Halloween, Father's Day and Easter.
In May, Coles Fairy Meadow helped the Rotary Club of West Wollongong raise $1300 during the National Breast Cancer Foundation Charity Walk in Stuart Park on Mother's Day.
The award also rewards the staff for their combined passion for outstanding service and operational standards.
Coles Fairy Meadow store manager Jim Pazarkoski is an Illawarra resident who has worked with Coles for more than 24 years.
Mr Pazarkoski said it was a real honour to be named the team of the year and he was proud of his employees.
"We are so passionate about helping others and like to go above and beyond when it comes to raising money for those in need," he said.
"We also like to think of creative and fun ways for our customers to get involved."
Coles NSW general manager Kirstie Hepburn said the recognition was a fantastic achievement and a credit to the Fairy Meadow team's hard work in the past year.
"Jim and the team at Fairy Meadow have worked really hard to provide local customers with excellent service while at the same time going to great lengths to support the community through fund-raising," she said.
Coles Fairy Meadow created 65 jobs when it opened in August 2013 as part of a $17 million investment by Coles in the Wollongong area.
Coles employs about 1700 people between Batemans Bay to Thirroul.