68 Arizona Restaurants Give Back to Phoenix Children’s Hospital

A little teamwork goes a long way, as two Pizza Hut franchises in Arizona showed us with the results from their Deliver Hope campaign on behalf of the Phoenix Children’s Hospital this spring. Together, Hot Pizzas LLC and Pizza Hut of Arizona, Inc. franchises raised over $41,000 to benefit the amazing work of Phoenix Children’s, which served 150,000 patients in 2014 and offers a range of services for infants and children.

Working together, the franchises—activating 68 restaurants—spent the month of March fundraising with customers calling in their pizza orders across the state. According to Matt Simpson, a Field Marketing Representative at Hot Pizzas LLC, Phoenix Children’s is a cause close to the hearts of people cross the state. One in four children in Arizona will have received care from a Phoenix Children’s provider within a five year timespan, and it is an amazing resource for everyone in Phoenix—and even in surrounding states. “If you’re in Phoenix, everyone knows at least one person whose life has been affected by Phoenix Children’s Hospital,” says Matt.

It was a cause that felt personal to both team members and Pizza Hut guests. Team members’ huge hearts really showed through, as many went above and beyond to advocate on behalf of the hospital. Restaurant General Manager (RGM) Travis Roy took a tour of the hospital to learn about their programs and better speak about the hospital’s mission to his restaurant team. RGM Justin Brooks said his restaurant challenged others to see who could raise the most in a given day or weekend, with the winner getting a party from the other restaurants. Team members also donated their tips during March, and set up a sampling station outside the store, asking fans to consider donating while tasting treats. Travis and Justin were among the top raising RGMs, with $2,026 and $1,420 respectively, along with Bonny Shambaugh, whose restaurant raised $2,148. In addition to asking for donations after taking call-in orders, the restaurants all donated 20% of total sales on March 31 to the hospital.

The donations collected support the Phoenix Children’s Hospital Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the hospital that raises funds for vital projects that directly impact the lives of patients and families. In addition to providing significant funding for more than 60 programs or services, the Foundation is currently backing the expansion of the Hospital’s Emergency Department and state’s only Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center, which will provide more space for critical care of the most severely injured and ill children. By supporting the Hospital’s Hope Fund, Pizza Hut is contributing to lifesaving clinical care, research, community outreach efforts and child-friendly programs that make the Hospital more comfortable for young patients.

“We are extremely grateful for the support of partners like Pizza Hut,” says Steve Schnall, the Hospital’s Senior Vice President and Chief Development Officer. “Gifts like this provide critical funding for new programs, cutting-edge technology, innovative research and charitable care, all of which have great impact on the children of our community.”

The March fundraising effort isn’t the first—or the last—time these restaurants will go above and beyond for the Phoenix Children’s Hospital. Each year, team members support the two main fundraising events hosted by the Phoenix Children’s Hospital Foundation: the Telethon, and Ignite Hope. For team members, Ignite Hope is one of the more poignant experiences during the holiday season. Crowds gather by candlelight to walk 1.7 miles across the city, ending at the hospital, to sing carols around a Christmas tree and give toys to the children staying in the hospital’s care. In 2014, Pizza Hut donated more than 200 pizzas to those walking in the event, and plan to do the same again this year.

Thank you to the team members from Hot Pizzas LLC and Pizza Hut of Arizona, Inc. for showing us your huge hearts and for all you do to Deliver Hope to the children of Arizona!

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