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08.13.2009 Red Cross teams up with SUBWAY® and Johnson & Wales to prepare for disaster
CHARLOTTE – In the event of a natural disaster hitting the Tar Heel State, the American Red Cross, Johnson & Wales University, a world-renowned culinary institution and SUBWAY® restaurants of North Carolina are joining forces to provide meals for the victims.
To prepare for an event of such magnitude, JWU students and employees, SUBWAY franchisees, Red Cross staff and other support personnel will assemble at the JWU Charlotte Campus culinary labs on Monday, Aug. 24, to conduct an emergency food preparedness drill. [Best media opportunity: 9:30-11:30 a.m., second and third floor baking & pastry and culinary labs].
“Charlotte is an ideal staging area due to its central location and our ability to reach natural disaster victims anywhere in the state within 4-5 hours,” said Pamela Jefsen, Regional Chapter Executive of the Carolina Piedmont Region of the American Red Cross, which encompasses 14 counties in North Carolina. “We’re grateful to JWU and SUBWAY for helping our organization provide basic needs to those who will need it most in times of disaster.”
Five hundred boxed meals will be prepared from scratch, consisting of 6-inch SUBWAY sandwiches, cookies, bottled water and other items.
The drill will be conducted in real-time, from transporting and unloading items at the JWU campus, baking the bread and cookies, preparing and making the sandwiches, assembling 500 boxed meals and finally the reloading of trucks.
To put the natural disaster victims’ meal program in motion, the Red Cross estimates a minimum need of 3,000 meals and up to as many meals required to feed victims and first responders.
The worst natural disaster to hit North Carolina in the past 10 years was in 1999 when Hurricane Floyd affected the entire eastern half of the state, putting towns under water. In August 2005, displaced families from Hurricane Katrina were relocated to many cities throughout the state, particularly in Raleigh and Charlotte, where the Red Cross estimates more than 27,000 meals were served over a two-week period. And, when Hurricanes Fran and Ivan hit the Tar Heel state in 2004, the Red Cross served more than 73,000 meals.
“We hope the call from the Red Cross never comes, but if they require our services, we will be there as will our partners in this incredible project,” said Tim Mann, chief operating officer, NC SUBWAY Group, and Melinda Law, JWU Communications and Media Relations Manager.
All food items, meal preparation and assembly, transportation and other support items will be donated by the following: Frito-Lay®, Screiber Foods Inc., a global dairy company, IPC, a SUBWAY franchisee-owned and operated purchasing cooperative, The Coca Cola Company, Select Product Group LP, supplier of paper napkins and other products, French’s® Foods, Kraft Foods, Inc., Otis Spunkmeyer, Inc., and Butterball®. Following the drill, the boxed meals will be delivered to the Uptown Shelter, 1210 N. Tryon St., in Charlotte.
About The American Red Cross
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and counsels victims of disasters; provides nearly half of the nation’s blood supply; teaches lifesaving skills; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a charitable organization — not a government agency — and depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its humanitarian mission. For more information, please visit http://www.redcrosshelps.org.
About SUBWAY® Restaurants
The SUBWAY® restaurant chain is the world’s largest submarine sandwich franchise, with more than 30,000 locations in 86 countries. There are more than 750 SUBWAY® restaurants in North Carolina. In 2002, SUBWAY® surpassed McDonald’s in the number of restaurants open in the United States and Canada. Headquartered in Milford, CT., the SUBWAY® restaurant chain was co-founded by Fred DeLuca and Dr. Peter Buck in 1965. That partnership marked the beginning of a remarkable journey, one that made it possible for thousands of individuals to build and succeed in their own business. SUBWAY® was named the number one global franchise opportunity by Entrepreneur magazine in its Annual Franchise 500 Ranking for 2008. Visit http://www.subway.com. SUBWAY® is a registered trademark of Doctor’s Associates Inc.
About Johnson & Wales University
Johnson & Wales University, founded in 1914, is a nonprofit, private institution. A recognized leader in career education, we offer accredited degrees in business, hospitality, culinary arts, technology and education. With a diverse student body of more than 16,000 graduate and undergraduate students, representing all 50 states and 89 countries, JWU prepares students for personal and professional success by integrating rigorous academics and professional skills, community leadership opportunities and our unique career education model. The university is committed to urban revitalization and thoughtful historic renovation. Through active civic participation and by offering unique learning opportunities, JWU improves the quality of life in its campus communities in Providence, R.I., North Miami, Fla., Denver, Colo., and Charlotte, N.C. For more information, visit http://www.jwu.edu.
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JWU CONTACT: Melinda Law, director of public relations, (O) 980-598-1004
SUBWAY CONTACT: Roy Brunett, (O) 919-463-9680, (C) 973-902-7291
RED CROSS CONTACT: Kate Meier, communications & marketing manager
American Red Cross, Greater Carolinas Chapter, (C) 980.721.8806