When filling up or making a purchase at your local OTR, you may have noticed promotions to download a new app for your smartphone. You may also dismiss this as a simple tie in with the petrol station to earn loyalty points. But make no mistake that this app is different and will make a huge difference to organisations that really need our help.

Last month, OTR launched OTRGive, an innovative new program dedicated to helping local community groups. And on Tuesday, the second stage of this app was launched. From now on, every $2 spent in-store or 2L of petrol bought will donate 1c to one of the several community partners currently linked to the app. This includes the 12 new partners added just this week including RSPCA SA, Vinnies SA and Little Athletics SA, making a total of 24. There’s a cause for almost everything linked to this app now. And who decides which charity takes the donation? Why the customers of course, with the aid of this handy app, at no additional cost to them!

The launch event for this announcement was a lovely affair on a beautiful morning by the River Torrens, and clearly the new partners were excited to be a part of it. While everyone got to know each other, Joann Skene, the Community manager at OTR and Simon Rudduck, the Head of Brand addressed the crowd, explaining the app’s background and what they hoped it would bring.

With an ambitious pledge to donate an uncapped $1 million within the first 12 months of release, Mr Rudduck was eager to show the current numbers. And while 7,000 customers linked to the app and around $3000 donated seemed to be well behind projections, he assured everyone the numbers are on the way to rapidly increase, thanks to an impressive marketing campaign. Some may have already seen the billboards on buses, social media coverage or even promotion by popular Nine program South Aussie with Cosi, but more is sure to come as the app grows in popularity.

As an added incentive, Mr Rudduck made the exciting announcement that the 25,000th person to sign up for the app will end up with something far more rewarding than their original purchase and self-congratulations for doing a good deed. Whoever this person decides to donate to will earn their chosen charity a massive $25,000 donation! That’s a little more than what they would have expected to donate with their weekly purchase of milk and a tank of petrol!

The morning finished with a chance for these new partners to mingle and network, which for me represented exactly what this event and OTRGive is all about: forming that symbiotic relationship that can only benefit the partners and the worthy causes they represent. And with a further 12 community groups to join the program by August, this app is only going to further strengthen the strong sense of community that makes South Australia so great.

Words and Images by Oliver Brown