REDBERRY RESTAURANTS ANNOUNCES ANNUAL FUND-RAISING DRIVES TOWARDS SCHOLARSHIPS AND LOCAL EDUCATION CHARITIES
TORONTO, Aug. 29, 2022 /CNW/ - Redberry Restaurants ("Redberry") further extends its commitment to education with two new fundraising initiatives. The first is a new twist on their annual donation drive, which engages the community to raise post-secondary school scholarship funds for employees and students in the community. This year, Redberry is adding an initiative to help kids of primary school age. Redberry will support a local Ontario "Backpack Challenge" dedicated to helping kids get excited about going back to school.
Redberry is committed to making a difference in the communities in which they serve. So, when long-time employee Joe Bauer brought forward the opportunity with the annual Waterloo Regional Police Service (WRPS) "Backpack Challenge", Redberry quickly jumped on board. In addition to serving Redberry Burger King for the past 37 years, Mr. Bauer volunteers as an Auxiliary Police Officer with Waterloo Regional Police Services (WRPS), making the cause even closer to Redberry's community engagement priority. Through the program, Redberry will donate 50 backpacks and food gift vouchers to families in need in the Region of Waterloo, including Cambridge, Elmira, Kitchener and Waterloo. The Backpack Challenge is a reminder of the community spirit that helps level the playing field as children return to school.
"As a former teacher, I have always believed in the power of education. I'm proud to champion and advocate for programs that provide educational opportunities to those in need. The Backpack Challenge is a great primary school addition to our Burger King Foundation post-secondary education support," says Sharron Fry, Director of Marketing, Redberry Restaurants.
While Redberry raises scholarship funds year-round, this time of year, they enhance their efforts. Starting August 29th and running through Thanksgiving, Redberry Burger King locations will conduct donation drives to raise funds for scholarships provided by the Burger King Foundation. Customers are encouraged to donate a dollar for student scholarships, and in return, they will receive a dollar towards their next purchase. Each year, Redberry also contributes thousands of dollars and awards the Redberry Legacy Scholarship, in addition to the general Foundation scholarships.
Last year Redberry raised more than $80,000 during the donation drive, which was topped up by other initiatives and donations by the Redberry corporate office for a total of $243,000. The goal is to surpass the donation amount by an incremental 20% this year.
All family members of Redberry employees are eligible to apply. In addition, students in the community (non-employees) are encouraged to apply too! Applicants may be awarded scholarships (in US funds) ranging from $1,000 to $10,000. To date, more than 200 Redberry employees have been recipients of the program over the past years.
Edna Antonio has been an employee for more than 30 years. Her family has utilized the benefits of this incredible scholarship program for the last 5 years. Edna's youngest daughter, Cassandra, was awarded this year's inaugural "King of Giving" $10,000 USD scholarship to attend Nursing School. Her older sister, Krista, had also received the $1,000 USD scholarship year after year, which helped her complete her university studies.
"I'm so grateful to my Redberry community for affording my daughters the opportunity to pursue their dream careers without the added financial burden of school tuition. The future of our young generation is limitless when they have the educational resources that are now within each of my daughter's grasp. My sincerest gratitude to Redberry and the Burger King Foundation for this opportunity" says Edna Antonia, a Redberry employee.
Founded in 2005, Redberry is one of Canada's largest restaurant operators, with a deep understanding of how to connect with communities across the country. Redberry's accelerated growth trajectory has been made possible by a unique business acumen that creates an environment where our partners, brands and team members can achieve the best versions of themselves. Redberry has 160-plus restaurants across Canada, operating under the BURGER KING®, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell brands, with signed agreements for almost 400 additional restaurants over the next several years. Redberry is proud to have been awarded "Restaurant Top 200: The Nation's Largest and Most Successful Franchisees" by Franchise Times for the last two years and Burger King's Franchisee of the Year for North America in 2021. We truly are architects of a different type of restaurant company.
About BURGER KING ®
Founded in 1954, the Burger King® brand is a global fast-food hamburger chain known for food quality and value as the only place guests can get the iconic flame-grilled Whopper® sandwich. The Burger King system operates more than 18,700 locations in more than 100 countries and U.S. territories. Almost 100 percent of Burger King restaurants are owned and operated by independent franchisees, many of them family-owned operations that have been in business for decades. To learn more about the Burger King brand, please visit the Burger King brand website at www.burgerking.ca or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
SOURCE Redberry Restaurants
Please contact: Sharron Fry, Director of Marketing, Redberry Restaurants - [email protected]; Tara Anderson, Director, Communications and PR, Silver Lining Marketing - [email protected]
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