Auntie Anne’s® Honored with Franchising Gives Back Enduring Impact Award
Auntie Anne’s®, the world’s largest hand-rolled soft pretzel franchise, received the Enduring Impact Gold Award at the second annual Franchising Gives Back awards dinner on September 12. The awards program, which was launched by The International Franchise Association's (IFA) Franchise Education & Research Foundation last year, recognizes the franchising industry’s best, most innovative community leaders and charitable programs.
“We’re honored to receive the prestigious Franchising Gives Back Enduring Impact Award,” said Heather Neary, president of Auntie Anne’s. “This award is a testament to the dedicated service of our franchisees and their commitment to honoring the legacy of our founders. Auntie Anne and Jonas Beiler founded the company in 1988 with a strong desire to give back in the communities where they lived, and this tradition of giving back continues today with our Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation partnership.”
The Enduring Impact Award recognizes a business with a longstanding commitment to their community that has been executing an outstanding charitable or community support program for at least five consecutive years.
Since establishing a partnership with Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) in ;2011, Auntie Anne's has raised more than ;$2.4 million ;for the organization through in-store fundraising campaigns, coin canister donations, local event collaboration, and the company's annual C.A.R.E.S. Golf Tournament. Each summer, guests can visit Auntie Anne's to purchase a pretzel ribbon paper icon for ;$1 ;and show their support in the fight to end childhood cancer. In appreciation of the donation, guests receive a coupon for ;$1 ;off their next purchase. Auntie Anne's donations have directly funded more than 48,000 hours of childhood cancer research and have helped ALSF fund more than 650 cutting-edge childhood cancer research projects, create a travel program to help support families of children receiving treatment, and develop resources to help people everywhere affected by childhood cancer.
About Auntie Anne’s®:
At its more than 1,600 locations around the world, Auntie Anne’s mixes, twists and bakes pretzels from scratch all day long in full view of guests. Auntie Anne’s can be found in malls, outlet centers, and Walmarts, as well as in non-traditional spaces including universities, airports, travel plazas, amusement parks, and military bases. In addition, it has extended the brand onto retailers’ shelves and also serves as a distributor for fundraising products. Available at select retailers nationwide, pretzel fans can enjoy Auntie Anne’s prepare-at-home products, from frozen Classic and Cinnamon Sugar Soft Pretzels and Pretzel Nuggets, to frozen Pretzel Dogs and Pretzel Pocket Sandwiches, to a versatile Pretzel Baking Kit. For more information, visit AuntieAnnes.com, or follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
