ANDERSON — When Jay and Nancy Ricker first came to the Anderson area, there was no such thing as a Ricker’s Pop, and the familiar red-and-blue convenience store logo didn’t exist.

The couple had just started their entrepreneurial venture in 1979, buying a small Middletown gas station that offered gasoline and not much else. It was a far cry from the executive world of Shell Oil that Jay Ricker had just stepped out of, but the Rickers wanted more stability for their young family, which consisted of 2-year-old and 6-week-old children.

“We moved five times in seven years (with Shell),” Nancy Ricker said. “We just decided we didn’t want that for our children. Jay went from wearing suits and ties to putting on overalls.”

The couple who had met growing up in Clinton County couldn’t have known then, but the small gas station they bought in Middletown was the beginning of a convenience store chain that would give the Rickers a long and prosperous career in Anderson and propel them to give back to the community that had supported them.

For their community efforts since their arrival in east central Indiana in 1979, the Rickers will receive the Crossroads of America Council, Boy Scouts of America’s 2009 Distinguished Citizen Award at a dinner tonight at the Anderson Country Club.

According to the Crossroads of America Council, Boy Scouts of America, the award is presented annually to an individual who has practiced “selfless and tireless acts of service to this community” and shown qualities of leadership, dedication and willingness to improve the lives of those around them.

Avid community supporters

Besides creating a well-known convenience store chain that has stores dotting the state from Fort Wayne to Mooresville, the Rickers have established their headquarters in a historic building in downtown Anderson and use the space to work toward many community projects, including donating money, products and sponsorships to local charities, Little Leagues, soccer leagues and post-prom events. The Rickers also are avid supporters of Anderson’s historic Paramount Theatre and the Anderson Symphony Orchestra.

Nancy Ricker serves on the local Habitat for Humanity Board, and the couple has been the majority contributor to several Habitat houses. Jay Ricker has served on various community boards as well.

“I think it’s incumbent upon people who’ve been successful to give back to their community,” Jay Ricker said. “This community has had a history of couples giving back to their community. We’re kind of following in the footsteps of others in this community.

“We all tend to dwell on the negative sometimes, but we’ve always had strong individuals in this community.”

Nancy Ricker said it only made sense for the couple to give back to the Anderson community.

“We’ve made our money in this community,” she said. “This has been our home since the late ’70s.”

Not only are the Rickers residents of the community, they also have become a household name. Their convenience stores and Ricker’s Pops are somewhat of a local pastime, and they have 700 employees around the state.