Across the Bay area, 30 Panera Bread locations have started raising funds for Tampa-based Children’s Cancer Center with 25 Days of Giving events. The Missouri-based fast-casual chain’s participating bakery-cafes will continue to offer these customer-driven donation opportunities throughout next month.
The nonprofit Children’s Cancer Center benefits from four Panera events hosted as part of 25 Days of Giving, including the Giving Tree Campaign (add a new, unwrapped present under the tree to score free mitten cookies through Dec. 17), Hot Cocoa for Kids (donate $1 or more from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 7 or 8 and receive a sample of signature hot chocolate with chocolate chip marshmallows), and Operation Dough-Nation Community Breadboxes (donate at any cash collection box by the registers until the end of December).
Panera has supported the Children’s Cancer Center for more than a decade.
“We are excited to share Panera’s 25 Days of Giving with all of our customers in the Tampa Bay area,” said Vikki Kaiser, director of marketing and public relations for Panera franchisee Covelli Family Limited Partnership, in a statement. “One of the philosophies of the Children’s Cancer Center is that when a child is diagnosed, the entire family is diagnosed. We encourage everyone to join in our efforts to help give local children battling pediatric cancer or a chronic blood disorder and their families a holiday season filled with hope.”
This article appears in Nov 29 – Dec 6, 2018.