MDA Fundraiser Begins Tuesday at Café Carolina and Bakery Locations Statewide

Feb. 8, 2010 - PRLog -- RALEIGH, N.C. – Café Carolina and Bakery locations owned and operated by Boddie-Noell Enterprises (BNE) will help raise funds this year for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) by encouraging patrons to participate in the Shamrocks Against Dystrophy campaign.

Beginning Feb. 9 and ending March 17, St. Patrick’s Day, customers dining at any Café Carolina and Bakery location will be encouraged to purchase a $1 green or a $5 gold Shamrock as a way to donate to the MDA. To date, Café Carolina and Bakery has raised almost $50,000 for the MDA since joining the campaign in 2008.

Café Carolina and Bakery features locations in Cameron Village and the Wachovia Center in Raleigh; The Arboretum on Weston in Cary; Meadowmont Village in Chapel Hill; Friendly Center in Greensboro; and The Promenade on Providence in Charlotte.

Once sold, the Shamrocks, including the customer’s signature, are hung for display in each restaurant to create a festive St. Patrick’s Day atmosphere. In exchange, each customer who purchases a Shamrock receives a coupon for a discount at Café Carolina.

“Words can never fully express the gratitude we feel for the amazing efforts by all the employees of Café Carolina and Bakery,” said David Stephenson, director of business development for the Muscular Dystrophy Association in North Carolina and South Carolina. “Our mission to provide hope and help to individuals we serve in North Carolina remains strong thanks to the noble efforts of Café Carolina and Boddie-Noell Enterprises”

A portion of the total raised by BNE restaurants will help send children across North Carolina, Virginia, Kentucky and South Carolina to local MDA summer camps this year. Offering a fun, safe outdoor experience, the camps give participants the opportunity to develop important life skills such as confidence, independence and social ability.

“We know the customers at Café Carolina and Bakery have a strong commitment to giving back to their community,” said Jerry Allsbrook, MDA national vice-president and chief marketing officer for Boddie-Noell Enterprises. “The Café Carolina team looks forward to sending lots of smiling children and their families to local MDA camps this summer.”

Annually, Boddie-Noell restaurants are one of the largest contributors to MDA in the Carolinas. Contributions collected during the fundraiser will also go to help with care for local children and adults affected by one of the 43 diseases for which the MDA provides treatment. The local services that the MDA provides include access to a national equipment loan program, assistance with durable medical equipment repairs, support groups, professional health education and care at affiliated clinics at Duke University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, Roanoke Neurological Center, the Medical College of Virginia and elsewhere.

About MDA
MDA is a voluntary health agency supporting programs of worldwide research, comprehensive services, advocacy, and professional and public health education for muscular dystrophy and related diseases. MDA is the largest nongovernmental sponsor of neuromuscular disease research. The Association’s programs are funded almost entirely by individual private contributors. Visit www.mda.org for more information.

# # #

About Café Carolina and Bakery
Since 1995, Café Carolina and Bakery has offered a “warm welcome” to customers, with fresh made sandwiches, soups and salads in a friendly, upscale atmosphere. There are six locations across North Carolina including: Raleigh, Cary, Chapel Hill, Greensboro and Charlotte. Café Carolina and Bakery is owned by Boddie-Noell Enterprises, a family-owned restaurant franchise business headquartered in Rocky Mount. For more information, visit their website at www.cafecarolina.com.

About Boddie-Noell Enterprises
Boddie-Noell Enterprises (BNE) is a diversified family-owned business engaged primarily in restaurants and land development. BNE is the largest Hardee’s franchise operator in the United States with 340 restaurants across four states. For more information about the company, visit www.bneinc.com.