CANTON, Mass. (July 10, 2007) -- Dunkin' Donuts, the world's largest coffee and baked goods chain, and Rachael Ray today celebrated the people who help keep America running with the first-ever "Running of the Cups." While the bulls run in Pamplona, the daytime television host and best-selling author unleashed 50 people costumed in giant Dunkin' Donuts iced coffee cups who ran throughout Manhattan delivering iced coffee and baked goods to pay tribute to those who keep New York and America running, including police officers, firefighters, nurses, construction workers and train conductors.
At the event, Dunkin' Donuts and Rachael Ray announced the launch of the Dunkin' Brands Community Foundation Serving Heroes program, an ongoing program in which customers across the United States can nominate the hero who serves their community, especially in times of crisis. Nomination forms will be available at www.ServingHeroes.com. Each month one hero will have his or her story prominently featured on the website and will be awarded with a year's worth of free Dunkin' Donuts coffee. Submissions will be reviewed and selected by the Dunkin' Brands Community Foundation.
To mark the beginning of the Heroes Program, Rachael Ray and Dunkin' Donuts honored Gerry Crimmins, a New York City carpenter who, with the support of the Leary Firefighter Foundation, spent his vacation time in New Orleans, supporting the New Orleans fire department by helping rebuild demolished fire stations. In honor of these efforts, Dunkin' Donuts presented a $25,000 donation to the Leary Firefighters Foundation and New Orleans Fire Chief Richie Hampton, which will go towards the rebuilding of New Orleans firehouses lost in Hurricane Katrina. Following the check presentation, Ms. Ray cut a pink and orange ribbon to kick off the "Running of the Cups," and the cups began their journey through the City to deliver iced coffee and baked goods to the following locations:
- New York Fire Department, Engine 24
- New York Fire Department, Ladder 1, Engine 26
- New York Police Department, Midtown South Precinct
- Phillips Beth Israel School of Nursing
- Penn Station train conductors
- Chelsea Stratus building construction site
"I'm thrilled to be part of the celebration, and to present $25,000 to the Leary Firefighters Foundation -- a cause I personally support -- to help rebuild firehouses in New Orleans," said Rachael Ray. "We know that there are everyday heroes doing extraordinary things everywhere in this country, and the Dunkin' Brands Community Foundation "Serving Heroes" program is designed to help recognize the hard work and support that these men and women provide their communities."
In the coming weeks, Dunkin' Donuts plans to present "Running of the Cups" events in several other cities, including Boston, Detroit, Baltimore, Buffalo, Saratoga, Washington D.C. and other markets. Dunkin' Donuts is currently in the midst of aggressive national expansion, opening new stores in existing markets while entering new markets throughout the country. The company plans to triple the number of its US stores to 15,000 by 2020.
Dunkin' Donuts has been serving iced coffee for more than 25 years, serving more than 150 million cups of iced coffee in 2006 alone. Millions of iced coffee lovers turn to Dunkin' Donuts because they recognize the quality of its iced coffee. Dunkin' Donuts has been at the forefront in developing an innovative process for brewing iced coffee, which has set the standard for the industry. The unique process, called double brewing, uses twice the amount of coffee when making the beverage to achieve consistent flavor and freshness that are never compromised at the expense of serving it cold. The result is a smooth, rich taste sensation?iced coffee that is never bitter or watered down.
For further information on the company's nine iced coffee flavors, please visit MyIcedCoffee.com.
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About Dunkin' Donuts
Founded in 1950, today Dunkin' Donuts is the number one retailer of hot regular coffee-by-the-cup in America, selling 2.7 million cups a day, nearly one billion cups a year. Dunkin' Donuts is also the largest coffee and baked goods chain in the world and sells more hot regular coffee, iced coffee, donuts, and bagels than any other quick service restaurant in America. Dunkin' Donuts has more than 7,200 franchised restaurants in 31 countries worldwide. Based in Canton, Massachusetts, Dunkin' Donuts is a subsidiary of Dunkin' Brands, Inc. For more information, visit www.DunkinDonuts.com.
About The Dunkin' Brands Community Foundation
The Dunkin' Brands Community Foundation is a fund administered through the Boston Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Its mission is to bring the people and brands of the Dunkin' Brands system together to support the service and leadership of those who help and protect communities every day ? especially in times of crisis. The Dunkin' Brands Community Foundation helps to support emergency response organizations so they have the capacity and leadership to respond when communities need them most.
Contact:
Michelle King
Dunkin' Donuts
(781) 737-3585
Michelle.King@dunkinbrands.com