Chili’s® Grill & Bar have announced the start of its annual Create-A-Pepper campaign benefiting the children of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®.
As Chili’s enters its 16th year of partnership with St. Jude, the brand has chosen to once again emphasize the power of a simple instrument – a crayon. While it may not seem like much in the moment, all it takes is for one Guest to color one pepper and donate $1 to make a difference in a child’s life.
As Chili’s enters its 16th year of partnership with St. Jude, the brand has chosen to once again emphasize the power of a simple instrument – a crayon. While it may not seem like much in the moment, all it takes is for one Guest to color one pepper and donate $1 to make a difference in a child’s life.
Since 2002, Chili’s has proudly supported the lifesaving work of St. Jude and has remained dedicated to its mission: Finding cures. Saving children.® To date, Chili’s has raised more than $68 million with the help of its Guests and Team Members to ensure that no family ever receives a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food – because all a family should worry about is helping their child live.
“We all have the power to help fight childhood cancer and sometimes the most powerful tool isn’t the one you expect. At Chili’s, the power rests in the palms of our hands when we donate $1 and pick up a crayon to help color a child’s world,” said Doug Comings, chief operations officer at Chili’s. “Our ChiliHeads are passionate about living out our purpose to connect, serve and give. And our long-term commitment to St. Jude is just one way we do so.”
In 2016, Chili’s made its second multi-year commitment to St. Jude of raising $30 million in six years to enhance the work of The St. Jude School Program presented by Chili’s for patients. The St. Jude School Program presented by Chili’s gives patients a way to participate in a regular routine and keep up with schoolwork during their stay at the hospital – whether staying for a few months or a few years. For children who are put into an unfamiliar hospital environment, school provides a regular routine, feeling of control and sense of normalcy.
From Sept. 10 through Oct. 3, Guests at participating Chili’s restaurants nationwide can support the lifesaving work of St. Jude by:
- Decorating a pepper coloring sheet in restaurant for a $1 donation and sharing on social media using the hashtag #CreateAPepper
- Adding a donation to their check using the tabletop tablet located on every restaurant table or through online to-go orders
- Purchasing a Create-A-Pepper T-shirt for $10 when dining in restaurant
- Visiting their local Chili’s to celebrate Donate Profits Day on Wednesday, Oct. 3. On this day, Chili’s will donate profits up to $350,000 to St. Jude
How the partnership between Chili’s and St. Jude began:
- Sixteen years ago, a local grassroots fundraising effort by seven Memphis-area Chili’s restaurants was launched
- By 2004, support of St. Jude and its mission grew into a national partnership with the Chili’s Create-A-Pepper campaign
- In 2006, Chili’s committed to raising $50 million over a 10-year period — one of the largest single partner donations in the history of the hospital — to build the state-of-the-art Chili’s Care Center
- In 2014, Chili’s Team Members and Guests proudly achieved this goal [two years early]
- In 2016, Chili’s announced plans to raise $30 million over six years to further progress The St. Jude School Program presented by Chili’s and support the needs of the patients and families
Helping kids at St. Jude is just a pepper away. To donate and support Chili’s Create-A-Pepper campaign for St. Jude, visit www.chilis.com/st-jude.
