EMERYVILLE, Calif., Oct. 2, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- During the month of October 2012, FREEBIRDS and its charity arm, FREEBIRDS World Works will Support Breast Cancer Awareness Month by encouraging its "Fanatics," or loyalty members, to donate their "stamps" (accrued loyalty points) in order to provide meals for families going through breast cancer treatments.
In addition, during the week of October 13-20, all 80+ FREEBIRDS locations will participate in the third annual FREEBIRDS Pink Week. Team members will show their pink spirit by wearing pink tie-dye tee shirts, decorating the restaurants with pink and perhaps even dying their hair pink as in years past in order to raise awareness about breast cancer.
Fanatics can go to www.freebirds.com/donate and donate as many or as few points as they would like. At the end of the month, FREEBIRDS will load points in the form of gift cards to give to local hospitals. The hospitals will give the cards to families going through treatment so they can redeem the cards for some awesome FREEBIRDS burritos, burrito bowls, nachos, salads and more.
The hospital partners are as follows:
San Antonio - Wings: http://www.texaswings.org/
Dallas - Breast Cancer Alliance: http://www.bcadallas.com/
Houston - Methodist Hospital: http://www.methodisthealth.com/
Austin - Breast Cancer Center at Seton Medical Center: http://www.setonfund.org/seton-breast-cancer-center
Northern California - UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center: http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/cancer/cancer_types/breast.html
Southern CA - UCLA: http://www.uclahealth.org/
Kansas - University of Kansas: http://www.kucancercenter.org/
"We realize that these times are stressful on the family, and any little bit we can do to help we will," said World Works Director Annette Beavers. "Our Fanatics are among the most community-oriented, generous souls in the business, and we can think of no better way than to help chip away at the pain and stress this awful disease causes on families."
For more information or to donate points, go to www.freebirds.com/donate.
ABOUT FREEBIRDS WORLD WORKS
The FREEBIRDS World Works mission is to give back to the community by inviting staff and guests to get involved with local, national and international causes. Since its inception in 2009, the FREEBIRDS team members have given over 10,000 volunteer hours to over 110 charities in their local communities.
ABOUT FREEBIRDS WORLD BURRITO
FREEBIRDS is about awesome burritos (plus burrito bowls, salads, nachos and more) and freedom of choice. As guests join the queue, they are partnered with a team member, known as a "Roller," who helps them choose from four sizes of burrito made from four possible flavors of tortilla. Burritos are hand-rolled with the guest's personal selection from more than 40 freshly prepared ingredients including grass fed beef, hormone-free chicken, or all natural slow roasted carnitas, hand cut veggies, signature Death Sauce and Bad *ss bbq, queso and guacamole. There are over 35 trillion combinations at FREEBIRDS. The restaurants have a free-spirited ambience with a rockin' soundtrack, reminiscent of a late-'60s rock 'n' roll roadhouse. It's Not Normal!®
For more information contact Sara Barker: sbarker@freebirds.com or 510-594-4260
A photo accompanying this release is available at: http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=14976