- Auntie Anne’s® receives the Enduring Impact Gold Award at the second annual Franchising Gives Back awards
LANCASTER, Pa., 2016-Sep-15 — /EPR Retail News/ — Auntie Anne’s®, the world’s largest hand-rolled soft pretzel franchise, received the Enduring Impact Gold Award at the second annual Franchising Gives Back awards dinner on September 12. The awards program, which was launched by The International Franchise Association’s (IFA) Franchise Education & Research Foundation last year, recognizes the franchising industry’s best, most innovative community leaders and charitable programs.
“We’re honored to receive the prestigious Franchising Gives Back Enduring Impact Award,” said Heather Neary, president of Auntie Anne’s. “This award is a testament to the dedicated service of our franchisees and their commitment to honoring the legacy of our founders. Auntie Anne and Jonas Beiler founded the company in 1988 with a strong desire to give back in the communities where they lived, and this tradition of giving back continues today with our Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation partnership.”
The Enduring Impact Award recognizes a business with a longstanding commitment to their community that has been executing an outstanding charitable or community support program for at least five consecutive years.
Since establishing a partnership with Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) in 2011, Auntie Anne’s has raised more than $2.4 million for the organization through in-store fundraising campaigns, coin canister donations, local event collaboration, and the company’s annual C.A.R.E.S. Golf Tournament. Each summer, guests can visit Auntie Anne’s to purchase a pretzel ribbon paper icon for $1 and show their support in the fight to end childhood cancer. In appreciation of the donation, guests receive a coupon for $1 off their next purchase. Auntie Anne’s donations have directly funded more than 48,000 hours of childhood cancer research and have helped ALSF fund more than 650 cutting-edge childhood cancer research projects, create a travel program to help support families of children receiving treatment, and develop resources to help people everywhere affected by childhood cancer.
About Auntie Anne’s®:
At its more than 1,600 locations around the world, Auntie Anne’s mixes, twists and bakes pretzels from scratch all day long in full view of guests. Auntie Anne’s can be found in malls, outlet centers, and Walmarts, as well as in non-traditional spaces including universities, airports, travel plazas, amusement parks, and military bases. In addition, it has extended the brand onto retailers’ shelves and also serves as a distributor for fundraising products. Available at select retailers nationwide, pretzel fans can enjoy Auntie Anne’s prepare-at-home products, from frozen Classic and Cinnamon Sugar Soft Pretzels and Pretzel Nuggets, to frozen Pretzel Dogs and Pretzel Pocket Sandwiches, to a versatile Pretzel Baking Kit. For more information, visit www.auntieannes.com, or follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
About Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation
Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) emerged from the front yard lemonade stand of cancer patient Alexandra “Alex” Scott (1996-2004). In 2000, 4-year-old Alex announced that she wanted to hold a lemonade stand to raise money to help find a cure for all children with cancer. Since Alex held that first stand, the Foundation bearing her name has evolved into a national fundraising movement, complete with thousands of supporters across the country carrying on her legacy of hope. To date, Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, a registered 501(c)3 charity, has raised more than $120 million toward fulfilling Alex’s dream of finding a cure, funding over 650 pediatric cancer research projects nationally. For more information on Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, visit AlexsLemonade.org.
Media Contact:
Chas Kurtz
Public Relations Manager
ckurtz@auntieannes.com
(717) 435-1561
Source: Auntie Anne’s®: