It may have been pouring rain outside, but inside the new and improved Cumberland Farms in Marion, it was a party.

On Wednesday afternoon, the managers of the store located at the corner of Route 6 and Route 105 kicked off a fundraiser for the local students.

Throughout September, the store will donate 20 cents of every beverage purchased at its location to the Sippican School.

To get things started right, the managers and students of the elementary school handed out free pizza, grilled cheese sandwich bites and onion rings to patrons.

Regional Cumberland Farms manager Rick Boyle said he and the other members of the management team reached out to Sippican School Principal Lyn Rivet about partnering for the fundraiser.

"What we do is we take a look at the community and see where we might have an impact and reach people," Boyle said. "We encourage youth in action."

The store first re-opened its doors last May following months of construction. To help the kids get into the back-to-school mode, Boyle said he and his team picked September as the perfect start date for the fundraiser.

"It's a beautiful store," Boyle said. "We thought: 'Let's kick it off for the fall.'"