Guests can help make a child’s dreams of tomorrow a reality today by turning peppers into works of heart during the annual Chili’s Grill & Bar Create-A-Pepper campaign today through September 30 benefiting the children of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Since 2002, Chili’s has supported the lifesaving work of St. Jude and remained dedicated to its mission: Finding cures. Saving children. To date, the brand has raised more than $73 million.
Customers have from Thursday through September 30 to visit their local Chili’s to help fight childhood cancer by:
- Turning a pepper into a work of heart for a $1 donation
- Snapping a picture and sharing your pepper’s personality with #CreateAPepper to enter to win Chili’s Create-A-Pepper competition
- Adding a donation to your check using the tabletop tablet located on every restaurant table or through online to-go orders
- Visiting your local Chili’s to celebrate Donate Profits Day on Monday, September 30. On this day, Chili’s will donate profits up to $350,000 to St. Jude
“We know there is power in numbers, which is why we look to our guests and team members to support the fight against childhood cancer,” says Doug Comings, senior vice president and chief operating officer at Chili’s. “We have a chance to help families in need and what many people don’t realize is that any donation – large or small – can have a huge impact on a child’s future.”
In 2016, Chili’s made its second multi-year commitment to St. Jude. By raising $30 million in six years to enhance the work of The St. Jude School Program presented by Chili’s, Team Members and Guests will support giving 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.
“Chili’s dedication to the kids of St. Jude for nearly 20 years has reached new heights. Their deeply held commitment and passionate efforts now extends beyond supporting the life-saving research and treatment at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, to including enhancing the education of our patients during treatment,” adds Richard Shadyac Jr., president and CEO of ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. “We are incredibly grateful for all of Chili’s Guests and Team Members who rally throughout the year to support our life saving mission. With Chili’s help, St. Jude won’t stop until no child dies from cancer.”
How the Chili’s and St. Jude partnership 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 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, Team Members and Guests achieved this goal [two years early]
- In 2016, the company announced plans to raise $30 million over six years to help develop The St. Jude School Program presented by Chili’s and support the needs of the patients and families
- Today, Chili’s is on track to achieve its $30 million goal.
