RICHMOND, Va., Nov. 27, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Customers at Hardee’s® restaurants across Virginia operated by Boddie-Noell Enterprises provided $81,018 to Special Olympics Virginia for athletes to attend the organization’s upcoming summer games. The proceeds came from customers who paid $1 for a Star and received a coupon sheet good for Hardee’s menu items during the recent four-week campaign.
The Hardee’s Star fundraising campaign helps more than 575 Special Olympics athletes participate in the 2018 edition of this annual community event. It’s the 37th year of the fundraising partnership between franchise operator Boddie-Noell and Special Olympics Virginia. It’s also the 50th anniversary of the very first Special Olympics Summer Games.
Raising the most in this year’s campaign were customers at the Hardee’s in Stanleytown. In second place was the Hardee’s of Gloucester (Hayes). Third in sales was the Hardee’s of Celebration Station in Virginia Beach. All 177 Hardee’s locations in Virginia operated by Boddie-Noell participated in this year’s campaign by selling the Stars.
“We’re very proud of our Hardee’s locations and especially for our generous customers who support these wonderful athletes by their purchase of the Star and receiving the coupons,” said Terry Lewis, president of Boddie-Noell’s Hardee’s Restaurant Operations and a board member of Special Olympics Virginia.
“Summer Games is going to be truly spectacular in 2018 for athletes and spectators alike thanks to our nationwide 50th anniversary celebrations,” said Rick Jeffrey, president of Special Olympics Virginia. “Hardee’s has been a part of our history for nearly four decades and has improved the lives of so many athletes and families in Virginia.”
Boddie-Noell Enterprises, the largest Hardee’s franchise operator in the United States, has now contributed almost $1.7 million to Special Olympics Virginia. Boddie-Noell owns and operates all Hardee’s franchise restaurants across Virginia.
In addition to the 2017 Fall fundraiser, in 2018 Boddie-Noell will be a Presenting Sponsor of the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics Virginia as well as a Presenting Sponsor of the Summer Games on June 8-10.
The mission of Special Olympics is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with and without intellectual disabilities. Participation provides them with continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community.
To learn more about the Special Olympics Virginia visit www.specialolympicsva.org.
About Boddie-Noell Enterprises
Family owned Boddie-Noell Enterprises (BNE) has been a Hardee’s franchise operator continuously for more than 50 years. Today BNE is the largest Hardee’s franchisee in the United States with 341 restaurants across four states (Virginia, North Carolina, Kentucky and South Carolina). The company employs more than 10,000 people and is headquartered in Rocky Mount, N.C. For more information about the company, visit www.bneinc.com.
About Special Olympics
Special Olympics Virginia is an accredited state program of Special Olympics Incorporated. There are about 140,000 people in Virginia with intellectual disabilities and about 8 million without. Our vision is to inspire an inclusion revolution in every school and every community. Engage with us on Twitter @solympicsva; fb.com/specialolympicsvirginia; and youtube.com/specialolympicsva.
Contacts:
Special Olympics Virginia
Holly Claytor
Senior Director, Public Relations
Direct 804.726.3025
Mobile 804.370.7916
hclaytor@specialolympicsva.org
Boddie-Noell Enterprises
Lindsay Priester or Rick Rountree
919-878-1144
mobile 919-871-4451
lindsay@rickrountree.com or rick@rickrountree.com