Celebrating IGA and the community

KENT — On a beautiful sunny afternoon (Sunday, June 1), the Davis IGA celebrated its 40th anniversary with a cookout, music from the 1970s (when the store opened), a 1970s trivia contest, food samples and demonstrations, and a raffle to benefit the Wounded Warrior Project. Also part of the celebration was the Paradice Classic Cruiser Car Club Show.The largest retailer in town, Davis IGA was founded in 1974 by Charlie and Anne Davis. After working for A&P for more than 20 years, Davis decided he wanted to open his own store. Having lived in Kent his entire life, he decided to do it here, and the Davis IGA was born. The Davises ran the store for roughly 30 years. Their children, Gary and Audrey Davis and Marie Roze, took over in around 2007. While the store remains relatively the same, recent upgrades have allowed for an increased number of products to be sold. There have also been several environmentally conscious initiatives.The store was recently given the 5 Star Excellence Award, an IGA honor given to stores that exceed the chain’s standard of excellence. Stores are graded on such things as cleanliness and community involvement. This is the eighth consecutive year the store has earned the award.Grilled food was served, with half the proceeds going to the Kent Food Bank and the other half going to the United Way. Community involvement is very important to the Davises and they felt it was important for this celebration to also benefit the community. The money donated to the United Way will help fund a children’s literacy program that allows participants to receive one book a month for free until their fifth birthday. It will also help support the back-to-school program that provides children in need with $250 worth of school supplies. In 2013, 40 children in Kent received supplies as a part of this program.A raffle was also held, with tickets costing $5 apiece, and all proceeds going to the Wounded Warrior Project. Prizes included a 32-inch flatscreen television, Red Sox and Yankees tickets, an iPod mini and American Express gift cards ranging from $100 to $500.“It has truly been our family’s honor to be a part of the town of Kent,” Gary Davis said. When asked the secret behind the store’s success, Marie Roze said, “We have such a wonderful loyal crew. From produce to the deli, aisle to aisle and register to register, they are at the heart of what makes our IGA hometown proud.”