One customer at every Wawa will get a special surprise on Wawa Day this week

Celebrating your birthday harder than anyone else does is a total boss move, and around these parts, few lean harder into their own birthdays every year than Wawa (except, of course, Gritty).

On Wawa Day, the annual celebration of its first retail store opening in Folsom in 1964, the chain gives away free coffee and often unveils big announcements about future plans.

But this year, Wawa is turning the spotlight on its staff and customers to help mark its 59th birthday.

“This year’s Wawa Day will celebrate the timeless connection between customers and the associates who have brightened days for 59 years,” Wawa spokesperson Lori Bruce said in a news release.

On Wawa Day Thursday, one customer at each of the chain’s more than 990 stores will be crowned a “Day Brightener” by the staff and will be presented with a sash, a mug, and free coffee for a week.

None of the recipients, each of whom was chosen by their store’s staff, will know in advance, said Bruce. They’ll just show up at their Wawa and be treated like the royalty they are by the workers who love seeing them.

So if you’re a Wawa regular who holds the door open for everyone, knows the name of each associate at your store, and brings the staff cookies or offers to help clean up coffee spills, don’t skip your Wawa run this Thursday. Also, maybe don’t wear your pajama pants and Eagles slippers.

And if you’re not one of the chosen “Day Brighteners,” hey, you still get a free coffee of any size.

Along with recognizing its customers, Wawa will also honor staff members at stores throughout the chain. Earlier this year, Wawa put a call out on social media asking people to nominate their favorite “Day Brightener” employees. Out of more than 300 submitted stories, 10 were chosen and those teams and associates will also be honored in person on Wawa Day and through videos on the chain’s social media channels.

Wawa will also donate $50,000 to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals to “brighten the days of patients and families receiving care,” a release said.

“On April 13, we invite our customers to celebrate our rich history, growth, and unwavering commitment to fulfilling lives, and we hope the stories we share put a smile on faces and inspire others to brighten days in their community,” Wawa’s chief executive officer Chris Gheysens said in the release.

Wawa, which is set to open its 1,000 store later this month, first began celebrating Wawa Day on its 50th anniversary in 2014, with an official declaration by Philly’s then-mayor, Michael Nutter. The store estimates it gives away more than 2 million cups of coffee every Wawa Day.