5 Examples of Purpose-Driven Charitable Giving
Author: Smoothie King
Because our mission lies in the transformative power of purpose, philanthropy and community outreach are central tenets of the Smoothie King brand.
In every way possible, we work to fulfill our promise of helping people accomplish their goals and live a happy, healthy and purposeful life. That mission goes beyond just helping our guests along their health and wellness journey – it extends into our local and national communities as well.
Whether it’s a partnership with a national charitable organization, or a franchisee sponsoring a local sports team, we are always looking for ways to promote positivity.
Here’s a quick round-up of ways we’ve given back at the corporate level, as well as how franchisees have gotten involved in their communities:
1. Community and Charity at the Heart of What These Smoothie King Franchisees Do
Smoothie King franchisees Brandi and John Sevieri have been involved in many different charities throughout the years – from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. A therapy and nursing center called Special Kids is at the heart of much of Brandi and John’s philanthropic work.
Special Kids is located in the Sevieris’ hometown of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and the center offers many life-changing services to children with disabilities. The center provides everything from physical, occupational, speech, feeding and group therapy to day camp, nursing services and family resources.
One year, they were corporate sponsors for Special Kids’ charity 5K, 10K and Half Marathon race, and the couple individually sponsored any of their team members who wanted to participate in the race. Brandi and John also hand out smoothie samples to the runners every year and regularly bring smoothies to the children at Special Kids throughout the year.
2. National Partnerships that Drive Awareness and Change Lives
Smoothie King and the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF) have very similar missions, making them ideal partners for working to improve the lifestyles of the people they are involved with. As part of our national partnership with the CAF, we help the organization offer fitness and athletic opportunities to people with physical challenges by providing grants for adaptive sports equipment, training and competition expenses.
At the same time, we help bolster CAF’s commitment to mentorship and building a supportive, inspiring community. We always encourage franchisees to get involved with the CAF at the unit level or find their own outreach initiative to support.
Since 1994, the CAF has raised more than $112 million and helped more than 200 million individuals with physical challenges gain access to sports and live full, healthy and active lives.
We appreciate the opportunity to contribute to their mission and regularly give back to these individuals, from donating portions of merchandise proceeds to the CAF, to sponsoring CAF events and fundraisers. Most recently, that included sponsoring the CAF’s 26th annual triathlon challenge this fall.
3. ‘Service with a Purpose’ Initiative Born in the Wake of Tragedy
In the wake of Hurricane Irma, Smoothie King locations in Jacksonville, Tampa, Orlando and Southeastern Florida were just some of the local businesses eager to give their time and efforts to help their neighbors affected by the storm. This began our ”Service with a Purpose” community outreach initiative.
Smoothie King team members in Southeastern Florida spent their day cleaning up Miami’s Kendale Lakes Park, an important community gathering place that regularly served as the setting for afterschool programs. The Smoothie King team members also volunteered at a local shelter for families with sick children.
4. Developing Smoothie Blends for Individuals with Specialized Diets
In the past, we have also partnered with various organizations to create smoothie blends that accommodate individuals with highly-specialized diets, such as the Daily Warrior™.
Working alongside the American Cancer Society, our corporate team developed the Daily Warrior for people who face challenges meeting their daily caloric and nutritional needs – a common obstacle for individuals undergoing chemotherapy. The Daily Warrior smoothie is blended with fruits and vegetables as well as protein, fiber, calcium, iron and potassium to help those individuals power through their day.
5. Franchisee Philanthropy for the Holiday Season and Beyond
Tonya Brigham, a Smoothie King franchisee in Bowie, Maryland, is well known for her generosity. In her first year in business, she and her husband did so well they decided to donate $10,000 to various causes during the holidays. His portion went toward developing mentoring programs in prisons, and Tonya called a local school to make an anonymous donation to children in need.
.png)
Other times, she has donated smoothies and portions of her store sales to various charities, whether she’s handing out smoothies at her local church or sponsoring homeless children’s spots at summer camp.