[Houston, TX] – October 1st, 2010 – Panera Bread’s signature Pink Ribbon Bagel returns this October for its tenth year to help support the fight against breast cancer. Throughout October, greater Houston area Panera Bread bakery-cafes will donate 25¢ of every Pink Ribbon Bagel purchase to Memorial Hermann Breast Care Centers, supporting their breast cancer research and diagnostic intervention efforts.
The Panera Pink Ribbon Bagel is baked fresh daily from fresh dough by artisan bakers in each participating bakery-cafe. The bagel features cherry chips, dried cherries and cranberries, vanilla, honey and brown sugar. This unique bakery item follows the tradition of ‘thinking pink’ during the month of October in the quest to help eradicate breast cancer disease. Sue Stees, one of Panera Bread’s first franchisees and a breast cancer survivor, developed the idea for the Pink Ribbon Bagel in 2001 as a way to help support the cause.
“In the United States, one in eight women will develop breast cancer in her lifetime. We are doing everything we can to promote screening, education and early detection, and this campaign will help us save more lives,” said DaWanda Nelson, COO of Memorial Hermann Imaging and Breast Care Centers. “We are so grateful to Panera for their support.”
“Panera Bread is devoted to serving the members of our local community, many of whom have had their lives touched by breast cancer,” said John Segura with Panera Bread. “Memorial Hermann has long been a champion of the cause, and we are honored to join them in the fight.”
Panera Bread company-owned and franchise-operated bakery-cafes also support charitable causes through its Operation Dough-Nation® program. They support Children’s Memorial Hermann hospital in the Texas Medical Center and have donated over $15,000 dollars in the last year through this program. Since it was founded in 1992 to formalize Panera’s commitment to community involvement, Operation Dough-Nation has contributed both monetary and bread donations through its Community Breadbox™ and Day-End Dough-Nation™ programs to local food pantries, hunger relief agencies and other community organizations. In 2009, Panera Bread bakery-cafes collectively donated a retail value of more than $50 million of bread and baked goods to charitable organizations helping to feed the hungry in our local communities.
About Panera Bread
Panera Bread Company owns and franchises 1,388 bakery-cafes as of March 30, 2010 under the Panera Bread®, Saint Louis Bread Co.®, and Paradise Bakery & Café® names. With our identity rooted in handcrafted, fresh-baked, artisan bread, we are committed to providing great tasting, quality food that people can trust. Nearly all of our bakery-cafes have a menu highlighted by antibiotic free chicken, whole grain bread, select organic and all-natural ingredients, with zero grams of artificial trans fat per serving, which provide flavorful, wholesome offerings. Our menu includes a wide variety of year-round favorites, complemented by new items introduced seasonally with the goal of creating new standards in everyday food choices. In neighborhoods across this country and in Ontario, Canada, our customers enjoy our warm and welcoming environment featuring comfortable gathering areas, relaxing decor, and free internet access. Our bakery-cafes routinely donate bread and baked goods to community organizations in need. Additional information is available on the Company’s website, www.panera-rdhouston.com
About the Memorial Hermann System
An integrated health system, Memorial Hermann is known for world-class clinical expertise, patient-centered care, leading-edge technology and innovation. The system, with its exceptional medical staff and 20,000 employees, serves southeast Texas and the greater Houston community. Memorial Hermann’s 11 hospitals include three hospitals in the Texas Medical Center, including a Level I trauma center, a hospital for children and a rehabilitation hospital, as well as three heart & vascular institute locations and eight suburban hospitals. The system also operates the Life Flight® air ambulance service, cancer, imaging and surgery centers, sports medicine and rehabilitation centers, outpatient laboratories, a wellness center, a chemical dependency treatment center, a home health agency, a retirement community and a nursing home. To learn more, visit www.memorialhermann.org or call 713.222.CARE.
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The Panera Pink Ribbon Bagel is baked fresh daily from fresh dough by artisan bakers in each participating bakery-cafe. The bagel features cherry chips, dried cherries and cranberries, vanilla, honey and brown sugar. This unique bakery item follows the tradition of ‘thinking pink’ during the month of October in the quest to help eradicate breast cancer disease. Sue Stees, one of Panera Bread’s first franchisees and a breast cancer survivor, developed the idea for the Pink Ribbon Bagel in 2001 as a way to help support the cause.
“In the United States, one in eight women will develop breast cancer in her lifetime. We are doing everything we can to promote screening, education and early detection, and this campaign will help us save more lives,” said DaWanda Nelson, COO of Memorial Hermann Imaging and Breast Care Centers. “We are so grateful to Panera for their support.”
“Panera Bread is devoted to serving the members of our local community, many of whom have had their lives touched by breast cancer,” said John Segura with Panera Bread. “Memorial Hermann has long been a champion of the cause, and we are honored to join them in the fight.”
Panera Bread company-owned and franchise-operated bakery-cafes also support charitable causes through its Operation Dough-Nation® program. They support Children’s Memorial Hermann hospital in the Texas Medical Center and have donated over $15,000 dollars in the last year through this program. Since it was founded in 1992 to formalize Panera’s commitment to community involvement, Operation Dough-Nation has contributed both monetary and bread donations through its Community Breadbox™ and Day-End Dough-Nation™ programs to local food pantries, hunger relief agencies and other community organizations. In 2009, Panera Bread bakery-cafes collectively donated a retail value of more than $50 million of bread and baked goods to charitable organizations helping to feed the hungry in our local communities.
About Panera Bread
Panera Bread Company owns and franchises 1,388 bakery-cafes as of March 30, 2010 under the Panera Bread®, Saint Louis Bread Co.®, and Paradise Bakery & Café® names. With our identity rooted in handcrafted, fresh-baked, artisan bread, we are committed to providing great tasting, quality food that people can trust. Nearly all of our bakery-cafes have a menu highlighted by antibiotic free chicken, whole grain bread, select organic and all-natural ingredients, with zero grams of artificial trans fat per serving, which provide flavorful, wholesome offerings. Our menu includes a wide variety of year-round favorites, complemented by new items introduced seasonally with the goal of creating new standards in everyday food choices. In neighborhoods across this country and in Ontario, Canada, our customers enjoy our warm and welcoming environment featuring comfortable gathering areas, relaxing decor, and free internet access. Our bakery-cafes routinely donate bread and baked goods to community organizations in need. Additional information is available on the Company’s website, www.panera-rdhouston.com
About the Memorial Hermann System
An integrated health system, Memorial Hermann is known for world-class clinical expertise, patient-centered care, leading-edge technology and innovation. The system, with its exceptional medical staff and 20,000 employees, serves southeast Texas and the greater Houston community. Memorial Hermann’s 11 hospitals include three hospitals in the Texas Medical Center, including a Level I trauma center, a hospital for children and a rehabilitation hospital, as well as three heart & vascular institute locations and eight suburban hospitals. The system also operates the Life Flight® air ambulance service, cancer, imaging and surgery centers, sports medicine and rehabilitation centers, outpatient laboratories, a wellness center, a chemical dependency treatment center, a home health agency, a retirement community and a nursing home. To learn more, visit www.memorialhermann.org or call 713.222.CARE.
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