Nearly $85 Million Raised by World Hunger Relief over the Past Four
Years
LOUISVILLE, Ky.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Yum! Brands’ (NYSE: YUM) World Hunger Relief effort featuring global
spokesperson and World Food Programme (WFP) Ambassador Against Hunger,
Christina Aguilera, has created widespread awareness and deeper
engagement to benefit United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and
other hunger relief agencies.
World Hunger Relief is the world’s largest private sector hunger relief
effort, spanning 110 countries, 37,000 KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, Long
John Silver’s and A&W All–American Food restaurants and more than one
million employees and franchise associates. The fall campaign has raised
more than $24.5 million in overall donations from employees and
consumers for WFP and other hunger relief agencies.
“It is unacceptable that nearly 1 billion people around the world are
going to bed hungry every day,” said David Novak, Chairman and CEO, Yum!
Brands, Inc. “In our quest to become The Defining Global Company that
Feeds the World, we believe it is both our privilege and responsibility
to make a difference in the lives of people who are at risk of
starvation around the globe.”
“I’m inspired by our employees, franchisees and their families who have
raised even more awareness and funds, donated food and volunteered their
time toward hunger relief,” said Novak. “Through our efforts, we will
purchase more than 98 million U.N. meals for starving people, and help
them move from hunger to hope.”
Officials from WFP, the world’s largest humanitarian agency in the fight
against hunger, are determining specifics on how and where funds will be
used according to the organization’s greatest needs. Every U.S. dollar
raised will go directly towards WFP’s operations to fight hunger
worldwide, mostly to disaster relief and school meals programs. With
just one U.S. dollar, WFP can provide meals to four hungry children at
school.
Now in its fourth year, the Company’s World Hunger Relief campaign has
mobilized its employees, franchisees and consumers from around the
globe. World Hunger Relief 2010 highlights include:
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Christina Aguilera raised awareness of the hunger issue by appearing
in new World Hunger Relief restaurant posters, including a
never-seen-before photo of her in Haiti, with the quote, “Together, we
have the power to save lives and go from hunger to hope.” Aguilera
also appeared in a global public service announcement where the
multi-Grammy Award winning pop superstar sang Beautiful to
raise money for hunger relief as well as online efforts, including the
campaign’s website, www.fromhungertohope.com.
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Novak, Company presidents from Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, KFC, Yum!
Restaurants International and other senior executives and franchise
leaders traveled to Nicaragua in August to see WFP’s relief efforts in
the country. In addition, Novak appeared in a new World Hunger Relief
public service announcement calling for action in the fight against
hunger. The PSA aired on high-profile business networks.
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As an extension of its World Hunger Relief efforts, Yum! Brands
Foundation is underwriting the “Muhammad Ali Center Peace Gardens” to
teach children in underprivileged areas how to grow food with plants
from different countries, feed themselves and others in need while
embracing diverse cultures and nutrition. The Foundation is providing
educational tools and materials including a free, downloadable
curriculum guide translated into six languages and $100,000 in grants
to build gardens in underprivileged schools around the world over the
next four years. The initiative is in partnership with the Muhammad
Ali Center and the National Gardening Association. More information is
available at www.mypeacegarden.com,
www.alicenter.org
and www.garden.org.
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Yum! sold World Hunger Relief merchandise for the first time on the
campaign’s website with 100 percent of the proceeds going directly to
WFP. Merchandise included special edition World Hunger Relief reusable
Snack Happened™ snack bags from Itzy Ritzy®. Yum! also partnered with
celebrity Ali Landry at a pre-Thanksgiving event at the Boys and Girls
Club of Burbank, Calif., to raise awareness and funds for World Hunger
Relief.
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KFC U.S. converted restaurants in two cities into “World Hunger Relief
Kitchens” and served food to people from local shelters. Pizza Hut
U.S. partnered with MTV’s The Buried Life to drive donations to
WFP. Pizza Hut through its various efforts increased donations by over
90 percent compared to 2009. Taco Bell U.S. partnered with NBA legend
Bill Walton to promote awareness of world hunger.
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Outside the U.S., Yum! employees across the globe generated awareness
and raised funds for World Hunger Relief through various initiatives.
Yum! China engaged employees and consumers to donate, generating a 152
percent increase in donations from the previous year. KFC South
Africa’s “Add Hope” national campaign included a number of activities
and competitions to encourage consumer participation and raise funds.
KFC U.K. employees organized 145 events for World Hunger Relief,
including hiking over 32,000 miles for hunger awareness. In Dubai,
teams launched a “Battle of the Bands” as well as a cycling event from
Dubai to Oman to raise money and awareness. In Singapore, team members
organized a “Carnival for Hope” event. In Malaysia, KFC and Pizza Hut
employees organized a “Be The Movement” charity walk with over 5,000
people in attendance.
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More than one million employees and franchisees around the globe
volunteered more than six million volunteer hours at hunger relief
agencies, food banks and soup kitchens. Employees organized everything
from car washes to auction sales to sponsored walks to bike races all
to raise awareness and donations to support WFP and other hunger
relief agencies.
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Yum! generated the equivalent of nearly $50 million in awareness of
the hunger issue through a PSA, advertising, public relations,
web-based communications and in-restaurant posters. In addition, the
Company leveraged the power of the Internet and social media to reach
millions of people through the campaign’s website,
FromHungertoHope.com, and other online vehicles such as Facebook,
Twitter and Google.
Since World Hunger Relief launched in 2007, more than one million of the
Company’s employees, franchisees and their families have volunteered
more than 21 million hours to aid hunger relief efforts in communities
worldwide. The effort has raised nearly $85 million for WFP and other
hunger relief organizations and is helping to provide over 350 million
meals and save the lives of millions of people in remote corners of the
world.
At the Clinton Global Initiative in 2008, Yum! Brands was recognized for
its hunger relief efforts. Over a five–year span, the Company pledged
to: raise and donate at least $80 million to help WFP and others provide
200 million meals for hungry school children in developing countries;
donate 20 million hours of hunger relief volunteer service in the
communities in which it operates; donate $200 million worth of its
prepared food to hunger agencies in the United States; and use the
Company’s marketing clout to generate awareness of the hunger problem,
and convince others to become part of the solution.
Yum! is also addressing hunger across the U.S. through its Harvest
program. Since its launch over a decade ago, Harvest (previously called
YUMeals) has become the largest prepared-food donation program in the
world. Through Harvest in 2009, the Company donated nearly 11 million
pounds of wholesome food, with a fair market value of $60 million, to
needy families and children. Since creation of the program, Yum! has
donated over 125 million pounds of food, with a value of over $500
million, to those at risk of hunger. The Company also has been the
primary sponsor of the Dare to Care Food Bank in Louisville for nine
years, and has donated nearly $8 million to this local agency.
Yum! Brands, Inc., based in Louisville, Ky., is the world’s largest
restaurant company in terms of system restaurants with more than 37,000
restaurants in more than 110 countries and territories. The company is
ranked #216 on the Fortune 500 List, with revenues of nearly $11 billion
in 2009. Four of the company’s restaurant brands – KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco
Bell and Long John Silver’s – are the global leaders of the chicken,
pizza, Mexican–style food categories and quick–service seafood
categories. A&W Restaurants is the longest running quick–service
franchise chain in America. Outside the United States, the Yum! Brands
system opened more than four new restaurants each day of the year,
making it a leader in international retail development. The Company has
consistently been recognized for its reward and recognition culture,
diversity leadership, community giving, and consistent shareholder
returns.
WFP is the largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide. Each
year, on average, WFP feeds more than 90 million people in more than 70
countries. For more information, visit www.wfp.org.
Source: Yum! Brands, Inc.
Contact:
Yum! Brands, Inc.
Virginia Ferguson, 502-874-8200
Manager,
Public Relations