Thursday, September 10, 2009

Eat a hot dog, help find a cure

Got lunch plans Friday, or Saturday and Sunday for that matter? Stop by any Fresh Market store -- there are three in the Charlotte area -- and have a hot dog, root beer float and cookie. It'll cost you a donation to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

This is no new philanthropic venture for Fresh Market. It'll be the 15th year the Greensboro-born-and-based gourmet supermarket company, now with 90 stores in 17 states, has held its three-day fundraiser to benefit the foundation. The company's supplying all the food and will donate every dime.

Its stores are also selling those green paper sneakers at the check-out counter for a buck, another fundraiser for the foundation.

The foundation has been Fresh Market's charity of choice for many years, after Beverly Berry, wife of Fresh Market founder Ray Berry, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 31. Before she died in November 2007, she and her husband were stalwarts in raising money for research to find a cure, particularly in the Triad.

In addition to the weekend cookout, Fresh Market was the first presenting sponsor for the Walk to Cure Diabetes in Greensboro, and it has consistently been a sponsor of the JDRF Piedmont Triad Chapter's annual gala, where it was honored in 2001.

The company continues to raise money and awareness to honor Beverly Berry.

Over the 15 years, the sidewalk sale has raised more than $1 million, said Sally Langan, spokeswoman for the local chapter of the research foundation. "As an entire organization, this is Fresh Market's big push to raise money for research," Langan said. "We'll have our volunteers out at all the Fresh Markets serving up the treats all weekend."

So this weekend have a hot dog and root beer float on the Fresh Market and leave a nice donation to help find a cure for a terrible disease.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's a good cause, but eating hot dogs to find a cure for diabetes is like driving fast to support responsible driving.

Hub Justice said...

White-bread hot dog buns and sugary root beer floats...for diabetes research?

What next, spareribs and fried chicken to prevent heart disease?

Anonymous said...

Let the government give charities some stimulus money, look at how much they pay people, and take over the operation and hiring of staff. The Obama administration can decide who shoud get help and who should not. You know let them run that the way they want to run everyone's lives.