Do you have a heart for adoption?
Most people know that Dave Thomas, founder of Wendy’s restaurants, was adopted. His passion for finding children their forever homes inspired the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. Although Dave has passed away and the restaurant chain is now owned by another corporation, his legacy lives on. One day during lunch, my husband snapped a picture of his Wendy’s drink cup and messaged it to me. On the cup was a challenge to complete the heart with your hand and Tweet, Facebook, or Instagram a photo and use the hashtag #Share4Adoption. If you did so, Wendy’s would donate $5 to the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption for every original share! You can guess where I decided to have lunch that day, too.
When I asked why Wendy’s is so active with this foundation, Frank Vamos, Director of Brand Communications for Wendy’s, stated: “Today, Wendy’s continues to be at the forefront of advocating for children in the North American foster care system—and our franchisees take great pride in supporting this partner through their work that embraces Dave Thomas’ passion for the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. Throughout each year, Wendy’s works to promote and fundraise for the DTFA through programs like our #Share4Adoption, National Frosty Key Tag Program, and our annual Father’s Day Frosty Weekend.”
Wendy’s also partners with DTFA through their Wendy’s Wonderful Kids program, which launched in 2004 in partnership with Wendy’s restaurants. This program specifically works to find homes for children who have been waiting the longest for an adoptive family. Children who are referred to the program are 300% more likely to be adopted.
This summer, all Wendy’s restaurants will transition to the special cups for this promotion. The cup design features a hand making half of a heart. Customers are asked to complete the heart on the cup with their hand, snap a picture, and share on social media with #Share4Adoption. All drinks, with the exception of hot drinks and Jr. Frostys, will carry the message for you to complete the heart!
What is the goal of this campaign, other than raising money for the foundation? One of Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption’s mantras is “Unadoptable is Unacceptable.” Last year, 23,000 children aged out of the foster care system without finding a home. Add to that the current 100,000 children who are waiting in foster care to find their forever families—there is a lot of work that needs to be done. “These children yearn for a family and a home. Through our support of the Wendy’s Wonderful Kids program and DTFA, we’re making sure that the families they are placed with will give them the love and support that they need to create a forever family—not because it’s the right thing to do, but because it is the best we can do, and they deserve nothing less,” declared Vamos.
In addition to the promotional cups, Wendy’s will be reviving the Father’s Day Frosty Weekend on June 20-21, 2015. Throughout participating restaurants that weekend, 50 cents of each Frosty dessert sold will go to support the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. This will be the ninth year that Wendy’s will support DTFA through this fundraiser, which, in conjunction with other initiatives like Frosty Key Tags, Canister Donations, and promotional cups, has raised more than $10 million annually.
The work of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption continues as we strive to make the world a better place through adoption, one child at a time. So go eat at Wendy’s and order a drink or a Frosty and show your adoption love by sharing a picture of yourself—or your lunch date—completing the heart!
For each original public #Share4Adoption post on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram made through 9/30/15, $5 will be donated to the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, up to a maximum of $500,000. ©2015 Oldemark LLC
Source: Ketchum for Wendy’s
