Jersey Mike’s Month of Giving: Wipe Out Kids’ Cancer

By: Jersey Mike's Subs | 2 Shares 82 Reads

April 12, 2013 // Franchising.com // Dallas, TX - Back in 2010, 11 Jersey Mike’s restaurants in the Dallas/Fort Worth area joined forces to raise money for Wipe Out Kids’ Cancer (WOKC), a local Dallas non-profit organization with the vision of a day in which all children are living cancer free. That first year, Jersey Mike’s and its generous customers raised $50,000 for the organization.

Flash forward four years and the Jersey Mike’s Month of Giving campaign has raised a total of $325,000 for WOKC which has or will be used to fund research trials investigating new treatment options for childhood cancers and to expand the WOKC Buddy Bag program which reaches out to newly diagnosed families.

"Each day 46 children in America receive the devastating news that they have cancer. One in every 5 will not survive this diagnosis. Thanks to the incredible support of donors like Jersey Mike’s, we are making a difference in the fight for better treatments and the search for a cure,” said Evelyn Costolo, CEO for Wipe Out Kids’ Cancer. “Jersey Mike’s understands the importance of standing together for the future of our children. The funds raised through the Month of Giving will provide funding for critical research projects that give hope to our vision of a day when all children are living cancer free.”

The 2013 campaign kicked off with a party for the WOKC Ambassadors, children who were, or currently are, undergoing cancer treatment at Children’s Medical Center Dallas. The kids and their families came out to one of the local Jersey Mike’s restaurants in late February for a celebration of sub making, face painting and special guests.

Then, during the month of March, all area Jersey Mike's restaurants made a 25 cent donation to WOKC for each regular sub sold and a 50 cent donation for each giant sub sold. On Wednesday, March 27, Jersey Mike’s Day of Giving, all area Jersey Mike’s restaurants donated 100 percent of the day’s sales to WOKC. Special donation buckets were available in each store so customers could offer their own contributions to the charity. Additionally, “Kids Helping Kids” young volunteers, who were excused from school, sold WOKC bracelets for $1 at four locations – and raised more than $1,000.

The DFW Jersey Mike’s fundraiser became an inspiration for Jersey Mike’s nationwide program, which raised $1.7 million for 86 different charities nationwide in 2013. Part of that was the contribution of $100,000 for WOKC from 19 Jersey Mike’s Subs restaurants in the area.

“Each year, during Jersey Mike’s Month of Giving in March, we ask that everyone come in with a generous heart and support this tremendous cause – and our friends and neighbors in the Dallas/Fort Worth area have delivered beyond our expectations,” said Dalton Stewart, the Dallas franchisee who initiated the partnership. “The work Wipe Out Kids’ Cancer does is phenomenal and we are grateful to our customers who stand shoulder to shoulder with us as we fulfill the vision that one day all children are living cancer free.”

“Jersey Mike’s is very passionate about this and believes in changing lives and healing kids,” said Costolo. “They are selfless in what they give.”

SOURCE Jersey Mike’s

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