Everyone likes a winner. Not only can you be a winner in July, you can be a champion in the fight against cancer.
During the month of July, Burger King Restaurants® customers in 73 locations will be asked if they would like to donate $1 to “Beat Cancer for Kids.” The donation will get them a scratch card that will include a free Burger King food item worth at least $1.
The scratch card also provides a chance to win prizes from one of many sponsors. The grand prize is a family vacation for four sponsored by Six Flags Magic Mountain and Hurricane Harbor in Los Angeles, including travel on Southwest Airlines and hotel accommodations. Other prizes will include items from Best Buy, Scooters Coffeehouse, the Lozier IMAX Theatre, University of Nebraska at Omaha hockey game ticket, and soccer and basketball tickets from Creighton University.
All donations will go towards childhood cancer research at the UNMC Eppley Cancer Center.
The “BK Beat Cancer for Kids” promotion is part of Liz’s Legacy, a fund to advance cancer research and care through the UNMC Eppley Cancer Center. Liz’s Legacy is named after the late Liz Karnes, an Omaha civic leader who died in 2003 after a 12-year battle with cancer.
The campaign has expanded since last year and will include 73 Burger King Restaurants® in the Omaha area, Council Bluffs area, eastern Nebraska and the greater Des Moines area. Since 2004, BK Beat Cancer for Kids has raised $140,000. Sites in southeast Nebraska will include: Crete, Wahoo, Nebraska City, Plattsmouth, Fremont, Blair, and Columbus. Besides the Council Bluffs area, Iowa sites will include Red Oak, Shenandoah, Harlan, Missouri Valley, Atlantic, Denison and Ankeny, Altoona, Fort Dodge, Carroll, Newton, and Stuart.
Natalie Simmonds, manager of marketing and special projects, Simmonds Restaurant Management, Inc., said 23 Des Moines-area restaurants joined the campaign this year.
“We’re really excited and want to exceed the $100,000 mark this July. Our Burger King employees and generous customers drive the success of the program with their hard work and enthusiasm,” said Natalie Simmonds, marketing manager, Simmonds Restaurant Management, Inc.
Tom Thompson, director of development, UNMC Eppley Cancer Center said the reception of this promotion has been tremendous. “The growth of the campaign illustrates that people really do want to help this cause. Burger King hopes to raise five times the amount they did just two years ago.”
The Beat Cancer for Kids campaign began in 2004 with Mike Simmonds, owner of 69 Burger Kings in the Omaha, Des Moines and Council Bluffs areas. He knows the struggle of cancer patients and their families, as several of his friends are dealing with cancer.
“This disease is always ‘top-of-mind’ for me,” Mike Simmonds said. “Obviously, dealing with cancer in a personal way really focuses the mind on the devastation that this disease can cause. While great strides have been made, so much more must be done. My research has taught me about the wonderful asset we have here locally with UNMC. This community has been great to me. The Beat Cancer program is a natural way for me to give something back and make good use of the many restaurant locations we have.”
Ken Cowan, M.D., Ph.D., director of the UNMC Eppley Cancer Center, said the partnership with Burger King has been a great one. “Not only is Burger King making a generous financial contribution to this promotion, the initiative helps increase awareness about cancer and the UNMC cancer center right here in our community.”
Beat Cancer for Kids promotion features six pediatric patients and survivors treated at UNMC. The children will be featured in promotional ads televised on KPTM Fox 42 and on Star 104.5 radio station in Omaha.
One of them is Shannon Pokorny. Her mother, Rose Gee, said Shannon, who has Hodgkin’s disease, has turned her experience with cancer into a positive one.
Pokorny has reached out to help other children with cancer and their families by telling her story. “She is doing a lot of talking … reaching out with other kids,” Gee said. “She lived through her senior year with cancer. I never thought one of my kids would get cancer. At first I was so angry about cancer, but I think it taught us a lot. We used to take life your granted and it’s like now, life is too short.
“Shannon has learned a lot from having cancer. It made her decide what she wanted to do in life. we were sitting in the hospital. as soon as the nurse walked out of the room, she said mom, I know what I want to be.
Gee is excited about the promotion. “Hopefully we can find a cure for cancer … get the word out. Let’s raise money and find a cure for this thing,” she said.
In addition to Burger King and Southwest Airlines, other sponsors in Omaha include KPTM Fox 42 television, Star 104.5, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Creighton University, Lozier IMAX Theatre, Scooters Coffeehouse, Best Buy, Bozell & Jacobs, and ArtFac Graphics. Des Moines sponsors include KPWB television and Jordan Creek Century 20 Theatres.
Those interested in making a donation online or learning more about the promotion, can go to www.beatcancerforkids.com in July. The public, which also is invited to read the profiles of the 12 children who’ve participated in the campaigns, can also send notes of encouragement.