Yum! Brands (NYSE: YUM), parent company of KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell,
announced the launch of its annual World Hunger Relief effort with the
“Pass The Red Cup” challenge featuring multi-Grammy Award winner and
international superstar Christina Aguilera.
Yum! Brands, KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell launch annual global World Hunger Relief effort with #PassTheRedCup challenge featuring multi-Grammy Award winner and international superstar Christina Aguilera. Nearly 850 million people are going hungry around the globe and Aguilera is urging people to share #PassTheRedCup on their social channels and donate U.S.$5 to feed 20 children. Every dollar raised will go directly towards the UN World Food Programme’s operations to fight hunger. To donate, visit HungertoHope.com. (Robb Dipple/Hilton Media Group)
According to the United Nations, there are nearly 850 million people
around the world who suffer from chronic hunger. Yum! Brands’ World
Hunger Relief effort is the world’s largest private sector hunger relief
initiative, spanning more than 125 countries, over 40,000 KFC, Pizza Hut
and Taco Bell restaurants and 1.5 million associates. The initiative
began in 2007 in an effort to raise awareness, volunteerism and funds
for the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and other hunger
relief agencies.
The new “Pass The Red Cup” challenge is designed to drive awareness and
inspire donations for Yum! Brands’ World Hunger Relief. Aguilera is
challenging media outlets, other celebrities, influencers and her fans
around the world to share #PassTheRedCup on their social channels to
raise awareness of the global hunger issue. She’s also urging people to
donate US$5 to help feed 20 schoolchildren on the campaign’s website, HungertoHope.com.
Every dollar raised will go directly towards WFP’s operations to fight
hunger around the world.
Aguilera will appear in a global World Hunger Relief public service
announcement, posters at KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell restaurants,
advertising and online efforts. She has served as a volunteer
spokesperson for World Hunger Relief since 2009 and has helped to raise
millions for WFP and other hunger relief agencies. She is also an
“Ambassador Against Hunger” for WFP and has traveled on relief trips to
Rwanda, Haiti and Guatemala. In 2012, World Food Program USA honored
Aguilera and David Novak, Yum! Brands’ Chairman and CEO, at the U.S.
State Department with the George McGovern Leadership Award for their
hunger relief efforts. In addition, she received a special achievement
award at the 2012 National Council of La Raza ALMA Awards and was the
first recipient of the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian of the Year Award in
2013 for her hunger relief work.
“The beautiful faces of the children I’ve met in Rwanda and in other
countries are with me every day and fuel my passion to raise awareness
of the global hunger issue,” said Aguilera. “That’s why I’m urging
everyone to join me and #PassTheRedCup for Yum! Brands’ World Hunger
Relief effort. Together we can move millions of children from hunger to
hope.” People can accept Aguilera’s challenge by sharing #PassTheRedCup
on social channels and by donating $5 on HungertoHope.com.
“With nearly 850 million people going hungry worldwide, we all need to
help find a solution to this critical issue,” said David Novak, Chairman
and CEO of Yum! Brands, Inc. “We are thankful to WFP for their
incredible life-saving hunger relief efforts in developing countries and
to Christina Aguilera for her passion to raise awareness and inspire
people to get involved. I’m especially proud of our 1.5 million
associates around the globe who are volunteering in their local
communities to fight hunger. As one of the world’s largest restaurant
companies, we have the privilege and responsibility to lead the fight to
end hunger and save lives,” said Novak.
“We are grateful for Yum! Brands’ partnership and ongoing commitment to
helping WFP save lives by providing access to food assistance supporting
more stable communities around the world,” said Ertharin Cousin,
Executive Director of WFP. “The World Hunger Relief campaign is a great
example of how much can be accomplished when individuals rally around a
good cause. Because together, by providing access to nutritious food, we
can help millions more hungry people create a better future for
themselves. A future where zero hunger is a reality and children
everywhere can pursue a life of truly infinite possibilities.”
Since 2007, Yum! Brands’ World Hunger Relief effort has raised more than
$185 million for WFP and other hunger relief organizations and provided
740 million meals to save the lives of millions of people in all corners
of the world. Consumers can visit HungertoHope.com,
donate in KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell restaurants worldwide (no
purchase necessary - see calendar below for U.S. campaign dates) or text
“WHR” to 90999 in the U.S. to make a donation.
Yum! is also addressing hunger across the U.S. through its Harvest
program. Since its launch over two decades ago, Harvest has become the
largest prepared-food donation program in the world. Through Harvest,
Yum! has donated more than 169 million pounds of food, with a value of
nearly $764 million, to those at risk of hunger in the U.S. Yum! has
also been the primary sponsor of the Dare to Care Food Bank in
Louisville, Ky., for 12 years with donations totaling more than $12
million.
Campaign Calendar: World Hunger Relief kicks off the Fall campaign in
the U.S. with Pizza Hut on September 1, KFC on September 8 and Taco Bell
on November 11.
Join the movement and #PassTheRedCup @WldHungerRelief @yumbrands.
Yum! Brands, Inc., based in Louisville, Kentucky, has over 40,000
restaurants in more than 125 countries and territories. Yum! is ranked
#216 on the Fortune 500 List with revenues of over $13 billion and in
2014 was named among the top 100 Corporate Citizens by Corporate
Responsibility Magazine. The Company's restaurant brands - KFC, Pizza
Hut and Taco Bell - are the global leaders of the chicken, pizza and
Mexican-style food categories. Outside the United States, the Yum!
Brands system opened over five new restaurants per day, making it a
leader in international retail development.
The World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian agency
fighting hunger worldwide, delivering food in emergencies and working
with communities to build resilience. Last year, WFP assisted more than
80 million people in 75 countries. For more information, visit www.wfp.org.
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