DALLAS, Nov. 21, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- "Someone special at
St. Jude would like to say hello," this is what Guests at
Chili's® Grill & Bar Highland Springs restaurant
heard after choosing to donate to St. Jude Children's Research
Hospital® during this year's Create-A-Pepper campaign.
It's often difficult to connect how an add-on donation at the end
of a meal or coloring a pepper while at Chili's can have an impact
on the kids at St. Jude, but over the past 15 years, each donation
and pepper has added up to more than $64
million to support St. Jude's mission of Finding cures.
Saving children®.
Experience the interactive Multichannel News Release here:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8227251-chilis-st-jude-create-a-pepper/
This year, Chili's is showing how a little action can create a
big impact by continuing to connect those who care with those in
need of care. ChiliHeads at Highland Springs in Beaumont, Calif. surprised everyday Guests
with a special thank you for their donation to St. Jude. Guests
came in expecting a normal dining experience and got something
completely different. After a donation, Guests received a video
call from a St. Jude survivor who personally shared their story and
the difference each donation makes in ensuring that no family ever
receives a bill.
"I loved being able to take Guests by surprise. I thought this
experience would be scripted, but it wasn't. The connections
between the Team Members and the Guests were so genuine and so
real," said Shaylene Hershey, Team
Member and Create-A-Pepper Hope Captain at Chili's.
Last year, Chili's made its second multi-year commitment to St.
Jude of raising $30 million in six
years to enhance the work of The St. Jude School Program presented
by Chili's for patients. The St. Jude School Program presented by
Chili's gives patients a way to focus on the future and keep up
with schoolwork during their stay at the hospital – whether staying
for a few months or years. For children who are put into an
unfamiliar hospital environment, school provides a regular routine,
feeling of control and sense of normalcy.
"It's not about the monetary commitments to St. Jude, but rather
our commitment to helping the whole child," said Doug Comings, chief operations officer of
Chili's. "We've raised more than $50
million for the state-of-the-art Chili's Care Center and now
we're excited to support the St. Jude School Program presented by
Chili's and all that really means is we're taking care of the body
and the mind of the kids at St. Jude."
From Nov. 20 through Dec. 31,
Guests at participating Chili's restaurants nationwide can support
the lifesaving work of St. Jude by:
- Decorating a pepper coloring sheet in restaurant for a donation
and sharing on social media using the hashtag
#CreateAPepper
- Adding a donation to their check using the tabletop tablet
located on every restaurant table or through online to-go
orders
- Purchasing a Create-A-Pepper T-shirt for $10 or promotional items such as a crazy straw or
temporary tattoos for $1 when dining
in restaurant*
- Going to their local Chili's to celebrate Donate Profits Day on
Monday, Dec. 18. On this day, Chili's
will donate profits, at least $100,
000, to St. Jude
How the partnership between Chili's and St. Jude
began:
- Fifteen years ago, a local, grassroots fundraising effort by
seven Memphis-area Chili's
restaurants was launched
- By 2004, support of St. Jude and its mission grew into a
national partnership with the Chili's Create-A-Pepper campaign
- In 2006, Chili's committed to raising $50 million over a 10-year period -- one of the
largest single partner donations in the history of the hospital --
to build the state-of-the-art Chili's Care Center
- In 2014, Chili's Team Members and Guests proudly achieved this
goal [two years early]
- In 2016, Chili's announced plans to raise $30 million over six years to further progress
the St. Jude School Program presented by Chili's and support the
needs of the patients and families
This year marks the brands 15th year to partner with
St. Jude to ensure that no family ever receives a bill from St.
Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food – because all a family
should ever worry about is helping their child live.
To donate and support Chili's Create-A-Pepper campaign for St.
Jude, visit www.stjude.com/chilis.
*60 percent of the purchase price of each T-shirt and 50
percent of the purchase price of each crazy straw and temporary
tattoo sold will be donated to St. Jude.
About Chili's Grill &
Bar
Chili's® Grill & Bar is the flagship
brand of Dallas-based Brinker
International, Inc. (NYSE: EAT), a recognized leader in casual
dining. Known for their signature menu items – burgers, ribs and
fajitas– Chili's offers fresh, bold and unexpected flavors. Each
ChiliHead at more than 1,600 locations in 31 countries and two
territories takes great pride in Chili's purpose of connecting with
and serving Guests and giving back to the communities in which they
are located. In addition to Chili's, Brinker owns and operates
Maggiano's Little Italy®. For more brand-related
information, visit chilis.com.
About St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
St. Jude
Children's Research Hospital® is leading the way the
world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other
life-threatening diseases. Our purpose is clear: Finding cures.
Saving children®. St. Jude is the only National
Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted
solely to children. Treatments invented at St. Jude have helped
push the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20 percent to
80 percent since the hospital opened more than 50 years ago. St.
Jude is working to drive the overall survival rate for childhood
cancer to 90 percent, and won't stop until no child dies from
cancer. St. Jude freely shares the discoveries it makes, and every
child saved at St. Jude means doctors and scientists worldwide can
use that knowledge to save thousands more children. Families never
receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food
– because all a family should worry about is helping their child
live. Join the St. Jude mission by visiting stjude.org, liking St.
Jude on Facebook (facebook.com/stjude) and following us on Twitter
(@stjude).
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SOURCE Chili's(R) Grill & Bar