DALLAS, Sept. 10, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — Today Chili’s® Grill & Bar announced the start of its annual Create-A-Pepper campaign benefiting the children of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®.
As Chili’s enters its 16th year of partnership with St. Jude, the brand has chosen to once again emphasize the power of a simple instrument – a crayon. While it may not seem like much in the moment, all it takes is for one Guest to color one pepper and donate $1 to make a difference in a child’s life.
Since 2002, Chili’s has proudly supported the lifesaving work of St. Jude and has remained dedicated to its mission: Finding cures. Saving children.® To date, Chili’s has raised more than $68 million with the help of its Guests and Team Members to ensure that no family ever receives a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food – because all a family should worry about is helping their child live.
“We all have the power to help fight childhood cancer and sometimes the most powerful tool isn’t the one you expect. At Chili’s, the power rests in the palms of our hands when we donate $1 and pick up a crayon to help color a child’s world,” said Doug Comings, chief operations officer at Chili’s. “Our ChiliHeads are passionate about living out our purpose to connect, serve and give. And our long-term commitment to St. Jude is just one way we do so.”
In 2016, 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 participate in a regular routine and keep up with schoolwork during their stay at the hospital – whether staying for a few months or a few years. For children who are put into an unfamiliar hospital environment, school provides a regular routine, feeling of control and sense of normalcy.
From Sept. 10 through Oct. 3, Guests at participating Chili’s restaurants nationwide can support the lifesaving work of St. Jude by:
- Decorating a pepper coloring sheet in the restaurant for a $1 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 when dining in restaurant*
- Visiting their local Chili’s to celebrate Donate Profits Day on Wednesday, Oct. 3. On this day, Chili’s will donate profits up to $350,000 to St. Jude
How the partnership between Chili’s and St. Jude began:
- Sixteen 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
Helping kids at St. Jude is just a pepper away. To donate and support Chili’s Create-A-Pepper campaign for St. Jude, visit www.chilis.com/st-jude.
*60 percent of the purchase price of each t-shirt 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. Its purpose is clear: Finding cures. Saving children.® It 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 more than 80 percent since the hospital opened more than 50 years ago. St. Jude 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, following St. Jude on Twitter and Instagram and subscribing to its YouTube channel.
SOURCE Chili’s Grill & Bar
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