News

Dunkin' Foundation awards more than $127K to nonprofit groups

July 11, 2012

The Mid-Atlantic Chapter of The Dunkin' Donuts & Baskin-Robbins Community Foundation (DDBRCF), comprised of local franchise owners and Dunkin' Brands corporate employees, announced $127,500 in grants to support 13 organizations throughout New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland.

The following grants are aimed to serve local communities:

New York

• Achilles International (New York): $3,500 for a hand-crank bike to support people with disabilities;
• Long Island Cares Inc. - the Harry Chapin Food Bank (Hauppauge, N.Y.): $10,000 to provide food for those in need;
• Maria Fareri Children's Hospital Foundation Inc. at Westchester Medical Center (Valhalla, N.Y.): $10,000 for a Children's Hospital Foundation walk; and
• Starlight Foundation (New York): $8,500 to place Starlight Fun Center Mobile Entertainment units in pediatric hospitals.

New Jersey

• Ashley Lauren Foundation (Colts Neck, N.J.): $5,000 for books, DVDs and toys for children undergoing chemotherapy;
• The Community Food Bank of New Jersey (Hillside, N.J.): $20,000 to provide food for those in need; and
• Police Unity Tour (Florham Park, N.J.): $5,000 for the National Law Enforcement Memorial to honor and raise awareness of police officers who were killed in the line of duty.

Pennsylvania

• Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (Central Pa.): $5,000 to support programs for those affected by Cystic Fibrosis;
• Philabundance Foodbank (Philadelphia): $20,000 to support Philabundance's "Fresh for All" program, which provides free fresh fruit and vegetables in a farmer's market setting;Special Olympics Pennsylvania (Norristown, Pa.): $5,000 to support programs for local Special Olympic athletes;
• The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Foundation (Philadelphia): $25,000 to be a gold sponsor of the Four Seasons Parkway Run & Walk, which benefits pediatric cancer research and survivorship at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia; and
• USO of Pennsylvania and S. NJ: $10,000 to sponsor the Helping Hands and Liberty Food Voucher programs. The Helping Hands program provides emergency assistance with heating, electricity, and other utilities or bills associated with housing for families who experience a shortfall due to a deployment. The Liberty Food Voucher program provides grocery vouchers to assist families in reduced circumstances while a reservist or Guardsman is activated.

Maryland

• Special Olympics Maryland (Baltimore): $500 to support the Special Olympics Polar Bear Plunge.

"We are thrilled to provide $127,500 in grants to these worthy organizations that serve the basic needs of our local communities and make a significant impact in the Mid-Atlantic region," said Seth Goldstein, a Dunkin' Donuts and Baskin-Robbins franchisee and co-chair of the foundation. "Both Dunkin' Donuts and Baskin-Robbins are committed to giving back to the communities where we live and work, and we look forward to supporting these local organizations in their efforts."

In addition, the Mid-Atlantic chapter of the DDBRCF hosted its fifth annual Dunkin' Cup charity golf tournament on June 18 at Ramblewood Country Club in Mt. Laurel, N.J., to raise money to continue to support local nonprofit organizations through semi-annual grants. This year, approximately $300,000 was raised as a result of donations from franchisees, employees, golfers, community members and sponsors. The sixth annual Dunkin' Cup will be held June 24, 2013.

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