Clayton Majeste: One Step Further
This Winn-Dixie store director feeds the city in more ways than one.
Throughout his 33-year career as a store director for Winn-Dixie, Clayton Majeste says that the store has “always found a strong partnership with the community.” This commitment meshes well with Majeste’s long commitment to volunteering with organizations, like the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer program.
As a volunteer at the Cancer Society’s Hope Lodge, where cancer patients from out of town can stay while they receive treatment in New Orleans, Majeste gets to know patients of all ages and diagnoses. “I’m not going to say it’s always easy, but it is very touching,” he says. “You go there, and you meet people, and it changes your life and your perception of things. It makes you very grateful for your health.”
Last year, Majeste’s mother, a 20-year survivor of breast cancer, was diagnosed with a recurrence. Despite excellent treatment, she ultimately succumbed. “She got to live to the age of 83, so that was a wonderful thing, because through all the testing and all the processes, she got to live a nice, long life,” Majeste says.
In partnership with other store directors, Majeste has spearheaded a Making Strides Against Breast Cancer donation drive, which takes place at Winn-Dixie from Sept. 24 through Oct. 28. Customers can donate as they check out, with a simple scan of a donation card kept at the register. Stores will also hold raffles and other events to raise funds.
With six Winn-Dixie store districts in New Orleans, “I think that some store directors are making it really personal this time,” Majeste says. His district alone plans to raise $50,000 this year. Making Strides Against Breast Cancer will also hold a walkathon on Nov. 1, starting at Champions Square.
Majeste has seen his Winn-Dixie colleagues’ enthusiasm grow as they join him to volunteer at Hope Lodge. “I do this because I have a real passion for this,” he says. “I just hope this year brings about more donations than we’ve ever received in the past.” makingstrides.acsevents.org