LOUISVILLE, Ky.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Papa John’s announced the company raised more than $3 million through sales of the Shaq-a-Roni pizza for The Papa John’s Foundation for Building Community, which supports communities as they work together for equality, fairness, respect and opportunity for all.
“Thanks to the generosity of each customer who ordered a Shaq-a-Roni pizza and the support of our franchisees and team members, we raised more than $3 million to support communities and causes very close to my heart,” said Shaquille O’Neal, Papa John’s Board Member and franchise owner.
From June 29 through August 23, one dollar from every Shaq-a-Roni sold was donated to The Papa John’s Foundation for Building Community. The Foundation will now distribute the donated funds to organizations that support its mission including Boys & Girls Clubs of America, World Central Kitchen, and UNCF (United Negro College Fund). Grants will also be given to Goodr to support efforts to build food-insecure communities and GLI (Greater Louisville Inc.) to support the Business Council to End Racism. Within the next year, the remainder of the funds will be distributed to other grassroots organizations in communities across the country.
“The money raised through the Shaq-a-Roni is going to incredible organizations that support causes like COVID-19 relief and the fight against racial injustice,” said Shaquille O’Neal. “As a Boys & Girls Clubs alum, I know the impact Papa John’s continued support is having on these kids and their families’ lives."
“Papa John’s has been fortunate during the pandemic, as we have been able to deliver food to people who want or need to stay at home. It’s our privilege to both feed our communities and give back during these challenging times,” said Rob Lynch, president and CEO of Papa John’s. “Last year we launched The Papa John’s Foundation for Building Community, aligned with our company values of People First, Do the Right Thing and Everyone Belongs. Especially in these times of need, we’re proud to continue our work towards equality, fairness, respect and opportunity for all through our ongoing partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America and new partnerships with UNCF and World Central Kitchen, with more to come in the future.”
The Papa John’s Foundation for Building Community will donate funds raised from Shaq-a-Roni sales to the following organizations to help students, families, and individuals in need:
- World Central Kitchen, a non-profit organization founded by chef and humanitarian José Andrés, will receive support for COVID-19 food relief. The donation will support World Central Kitchen’s “Restaurant for the People” program, which engages local restaurants to prepare meals that are then delivered to food insecure communities that have been identified through local partnerships.
- Boys & Girls Clubs of America, a youth development nonprofit and two-year partner of The Papa John’s Foundation, will continue receiving support to help address the challenges posed by COVID-19 for kids and families, and to drive leadership development programs for kids in local communities.
- UNCF, the nation’s largest and most effective minority education organization, will receive funding to support initiatives designed to move historically Black college and university students to and through college. Specifically, the donation will benefit UNCF’s Emergency Student Aid (ESA) program providing COVID-19 relief, as well as scholarships and leadership development.
- Goodr, which provides direct support to families, seniors and nonprofits, will receive funding to continue support of efforts to reach food insecure communities, especially challenged during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- GLI (Greater Louisville Inc., The Metro Chamber of Commerce) funding will support the Business Council to End Racism, a program designed to support diverse-owned small businesses with financial access, business planning and other needs to scale and grow their operations.
The Shaq-a-Roni was offered for a limited time, consisting of an extra-large pizza made from Papa John’s fresh, never-frozen six ingredient dough, topped with extra cheese and extra pepperoni, then cut into Papa John’s largest slice size to-date. More information about the Shaq-a-Roni pizza, including The Papa John’s Foundation and its grantees, can be found at www.papajohns.com/foundation.
About Papa John’s
Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ: PZZA) opened its doors in 1984 with one goal in mind: BETTER INGREDIENTS. BETTER PIZZA. Papa John’s believes that using high quality ingredients leads to superior quality pizzas. Its original dough is made of only six ingredients and is fresh, never frozen. Papa John’s tops its pizzas with real cheese made from mozzarella, pizza sauce made with vine-ripened tomatoes that go from vine to can in the same day and meat free of fillers. It was the first national pizza delivery chain to announce the removal of artificial flavors and synthetic colors from its entire food menu. Papa John’s is headquartered in Louisville, Ky. and is the world’s third largest pizza delivery company with more than 5,300 restaurants in 48 countries and territories as of June 28, 2020. For more information about the Company or to order pizza online, visit www.PapaJohns.com or download the Papa John’s mobile app for iOS or Android.
About World Central Kitchen
Founded in 2010 by Chef José Andrés, World Central Kitchen (WCK) uses the power of food to heal communities and strengthen economies in times of crisis and beyond. WCK has created a new model for disaster response through its work helping devastated communities recover and establish resilient food systems. WCK has served more than 40 million fresh meals to people impacted by natural disasters and other crises around the world in countries including The Bahamas, Indonesia, Lebanon, Mozambique, Venezuela, and the United States. WCK’s Resilience Programs in the Caribbean and Central America have trained hundreds of chefs and school cooks, advanced clean cooking practices, and awarded grants to farms, fisheries and small food businesses while also providing training and networking opportunities. Learn more at wck.org.
About Boys & Girls Clubs of America
For 160 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA.org) has enabled young people most in need to achieve great futures as productive, caring, responsible citizens. Today, more than 4,700 Clubs serve over 4.6 million young people through Club membership and community outreach. Clubs are located in cities, towns, public housing and on Native lands throughout the country, and serve military families in BGCA-affiliated Youth Centers on U.S. military installations worldwide. They provide a safe place, caring adult mentors, fun and friendship, and high-impact youth development programs on a daily basis during critical non-school hours. Club programs promote academic success, good character and citizenship, and healthy lifestyles. In a Harris Survey of alumni, 54 percent said the Club saved their lives. National headquarters are located in Atlanta. Learn more about Boys & Girls Clubs of America on Facebook and Twitter.
About UNCF
UNCF (United Negro College Fund) is the nation’s largest and most effective minority education organization. To serve youth, the community and the nation, UNCF supports students’ education and development through scholarships and other programs, supports and strengthens its 37 member colleges and universities, and advocates for the importance of minority education and college readiness. UNCF institutions and other historically black colleges and universities are highly effective, awarding nearly 20% of African American baccalaureate degrees. UNCF administers more than 400 programs, including scholarship, internship and fellowship, mentoring, summer enrichment, and curriculum and faculty development programs. Today, UNCF supports more than 60,000 students at over 1,100 colleges and universities across the country. Its logo features the UNCF torch of leadership in education and its widely recognized trademark, ‟A mind is a terrible thing to waste.”® Learn more at UNCF.org or for continuous updates and news, follow UNCF on Twitter at @UNCF.
About Goodr
In 2017, after years of feeding people experiencing homelessness from her own kitchen, Jasmine Crowe launched Goodr, a sustainable waste management company that leverages technology to combat hunger and reduce food waste. Under her direction, Goodr has redirected over five million pounds of surplus food from restaurants, event centers, airports, and businesses to the millions of people who are food insecure. Goodr clients include SAP, Netflix, Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, Georgia World Congress Center, and many more. During the pandemic, Goodr has pivoted to food distribution by organizing pop-up grocery stores for the community. In addition, the company has also launched a grocery delivery program that provides weekly deliveries to over 2,000 seniors and families. Since March of 2020, Goodr is responsible for providing over two million meals to people in need.
About GLI (Greater Louisville, Inc. The Metro Chamber of Commerce)
Greater Louisville Inc. (GLI) - the Metro Chamber of Commerce is focused on growing the regional economy. As the region’s largest convener of business leadership, GLI leads economic and global outreach strategies focused on business attraction, nurtures the entrepreneurial eco-system, and champions the development of the community’s talent base. Additional strategic efforts focus on diversity and racial equity to help build a more inclusive economy. As the voice of Greater Louisville’s business community, GLI advocates for a pro-business environment and facilitates businesses engagement on issues that impact regional competitiveness. GLI is one of only three percent of chambers nationally certified with 5-star accreditation status by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, based on GLI’s dedicated policy efforts, effective operations, beneficial programs, and overall positive community impact. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn using @GLIchamber or visit www.greaterlouisville.com.
