Panera Bread to Host Pieces of Hope for Autism Fundraiser for Cleveland Clinic Children's Center for Autism

CLEVELAND, OH--(Marketwired - Mar 28, 2014) - In honor of National Autism Awareness month, Panera bread is hosting the third annual "Pieces of Hope for Autism" campaign which benefits Cleveland Clinic Children's Center for Autism.

Tuesday, April 1^st through Monday, April 7^th, Puzzle Piece Shortbread cookies will be available in all Northeast Ohio Panera Bread bakery-cafés. 100% of proceeds from all cookie sales will be donated to Cleveland Clinic Children's Center for Autism. The donation will fund the "Panera Bread Outpatient Behavioral Treatment Program." This program will provide community outreach and behavioral treatment to high need children with autism that have difficulty accessing services. The program focuses on both parent training and direct child therapy to improve social and communication skills.

"Our Panera Bread family is thrilled to be able to support the Cleveland Clinic Children's Center for Autism, during National Autism Awareness month," said Sam Covelli, Owner/Operator of Covelli Enterprises, the largest franchisee of Panera Bread. "The Covelli team of expert bakers created the specialty cookie as a way to show support for those affected by autism in our communities. That is what we strive to do at Panera Bread, make a positive difference in the community through our products and bakery-cafes."

Puzzle Piece Shortbread cookies are unique to the area and can only be purchased in the Panera Bread cafés or pre-ordered online at: www.paneracovelli.com/autismcle

Over the last two years Panera Bread has donated over $100,000 to Cleveland Clinic Children's Center for Autism through the Pieces of Hope Campaign. In total Covelli Enterprise and Panera Bread has donated almost a half a million dollars to various autism organizations in all of their franchise territories.

Throughout April and May, the Center for Autism is the Operation Dough-Nation partner in the Northeast Ohio bakery-cafes. All of the money collected in the canisters will be donated to the Center for Autism.

About Covelli Enterprises and Panera Bread

Covelli Enterprises operates more than 250 Panera Bread bakery-cafés in Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Kentucky, Florida and Ontario, Canada. Headquartered in Warren, Ohio, Covelli Enterprises is the nation's largest franchisee of Panera, LLC. Covelli Enterprises donated over $19 million to charity in 2013 through food and monetary donations to local food banks and non-profit organizations. To learn more, visit www.paneracovelli.com