Pink Star Fundraiser Sets $1 Million Goal in 2008

By: CKE Restaurants | 0 Shares 64 Reads

Carl's Jr. and Hardee's Restaurants Organize Spring Campaign to Fight Breast Cancer

CARPINTERIA, Calif., April 16 // PRNewswire-FirstCall // -- CKE Restaurants, Inc. has set its sights on raising $1 million with the Pink Star Fundraiser for Breast Cancer. Carl's Jr.(R) and Hardee's(R) restaurants expect to reach the milestone number during the three-week campaign that is set to begin mid-April. The fundraiser, now in its fourth year, will begin April 21st at Hardee's, April 23rd at Carl's Jr. and will conclude May 13th.

"We tend to think big naturally, so it made sense to raise our 2008 Pink Star goal to a million dollars and to support a quality organization like the National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF)," said Andrew F. Puzder, president and chief executive officer of CKE Restaurants, parent company to both brands. "We are committed to helping the communities in which we operate and to increasing the awareness of those issues affecting our customers, our employees and families.

The program has grown exponentially since 2005 when it was initiated by the Star Franchise Association of the Carl's Jr. franchise body. Carl's Jr. company-owned restaurants came on board in 2006. Hardee's entered the ring in 2007 and the program collectively raised more than $650,000. The 2008 event will have the participation of more than 3,200 Carl's Jr. and Hardee's restaurants nationwide, all with the common goal to raise money and awareness.

During the campaign, guests are encouraged to purchase a commemorative pink Happy Star(TM) cutout for $1. After personalizing their star by signing their name or adding a brief message, guests receive coupons to use toward future visits valued at over $10. Soon, each restaurant will be "in the pink" as the stars begin to adorn the walls.

"Each pink Happy Star that is added to our restaurant walls shows our commitment to supporting organizations like the NBCF," said Puzder. "It also serves as a very impactful visual reminder of the brave individuals and families who are facing down this deadly disease."

The leave-behind piece combines Happy Star, which is the icon for both restaurant brands, along with the color pink which has come to represent hope and awareness for the plight of women everywhere who are fighting breast cancer. All of the campaign printed materials are donated by Carl's Jr. and Hardee's supplier, SynqSolutions, Inc. of Atlanta, Georgia.

"The support that CKE Restaurants and their Carl's Jr. and Hardee's restaurants have given the NBCF will result in lives saved," said Janelle Hail, president of the National Breast Cancer Foundation. "This level of corporate support allows us to aggressively expand our educational programs that focus on the importance of early detection. It will also provide low-income women and those without adequate insurance access to one of the best early detection methods -- a mammogram."

According to the NBCF, more than 208,000 American women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year -- and 41,250 will die. One woman in eight either has, or will develop, breast cancer in her lifetime. In addition, 1,750 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year, and 450 will die. If detected early, the five-year survival rate exceeds 95 percent. Mammograms are among the best early-detection methods, yet 14 million U.S. women 40 years of age or older have never had a mammogram. For more information about the NBCF or to donate directly, visit http://www.nationalbreastcancer.org.

As of its fiscal 2008 fourth quarter ended Jan. 28, 2008, CKE Restaurants, Inc. (NYSE: CKR), through its subsidiaries, had a total of 3,067 franchised, licensed or company-operated restaurants in 42 states and in 13 countries, including 1,141 Carl's Jr. restaurants and 1,926 Hardee's restaurants. For more information, or to find a Carl's Jr. or Hardee's near you, go to http://www.ckr.com, http://www.carlsjr.com or http://www.hardees.com.

SOURCE CKE Restaurants, Inc.