Donate at Wendy’s to Deliver 600 Coats to Children in Need
GRAND RAPIDS, MI— Meritage Hospitality Group, one of the nation’s largest Wendy’s franchisees, announces the expansion of their fifth annual “Coats for Combos” coat drive to four markets throughout the Midwest. Wendy’s and partners, West Michigan Spartans and Duckett Enterprises, seek to raise 600 children’s coats throughout 65 Wendy’s restaurants, from November 6-12.
All new and gently used coats will be donated to local schools. Community members who donate will receive a free Wendy’s combo to use on their next visit.
“We have seen great success with this program in the past, raising a total of 1,370 coats for children in our surrounding communities,” said Mike Baldwin, Director of Operations – North for Meritage Hospitality Group. “This year we are pushing ourselves by setting a goal to raise 600 coats through our West Michigan, Northern Michigan, Detroit, and Toledo restaurants.”
Duckett Enterprises and the West Michigan Spartans will match the number of coats donated with a contribution of hats and gloves.
“Giving back is a part of the Wendy’s culture,” said Baldwin. “We have high expectations for our contributions and we continually strive to see growth in our community support efforts. This year is especially exciting for us with the first-time inclusion of our Northern Michigan, Detroit, and Toledo restaurants, where our efforts to provide warmth for children have expanded outside of just West Michigan.”
Coats will be donated to the following schools: Sibley Elementary in Grand Rapids, Comstock Elementary in Kalamazoo, Glenside Elementary in Muskegon, Kennedy Elementary in Manistee, Traverse City Heights Elementary in Traverse City, and Reynolds Elementary in Toledo, OH. Additionally, coats will be donated to The Salvation Army of Metro Detroit, which partners with schools in the surround area, for Detroit based restaurants.
School rallies will take place on November 14 and November 16 at Sibley and Comstock Elementary schools. Former NFL player and MSU Alumnus, Todd Duckett, will be present at both rallies to speak to students about the importance of community and giving back. The rallies include coat donations, giveaways from Wendy’s and a special appearance from MSU’s own mascot, Sparty.
This program kicks off Wendy’s of Michigan’s annual “Change a Child’s Life” campaign, which has raised over $2 million for local charitable children’s organizations and will run from November 13 to December 31 at all west Michigan Wendy’s restaurants.
For more information regarding Coats for Combos or Change a Child’s Life, please contact Weston Persons, Brand Manager, at wpersons@mhgi.net. For more information about Wendy’s, visit Wendys.com.
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CONTACT
Weston Persons, Brand Manager
45 Ottawa Ave. SW, Suite 600
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
616.767.2600 | WPersons@MHGI.net