(Birmingham, AL December 13, 2006) - Team Tacala Charities, the charitable foundation of Tacala, the largest franchise operator of Taco Bell restaurants in the United States is partnering with A.G. Gaston Boys and Girls Club on Sunday, December 17 for an ultimate remodel of the Club's Teen Activity Center. About 40 Tacala volunteers from local Taco Bell restaurants and Tacala's home office will meet at the Club located at 2900 South Park Drive in Birmingham from 12:30 - 4:30 pm to paint, clean, sew, and install lighting, furniture and gaming equipment donated by Team Tacala Charities. On Monday, December 18 at 5:00pm, Tacala volunteers and Teen Club members will attend a reception and grand unveiling of the remodeled Teen Activity Center.
"Our Teen Activity Center was in need of an extreme makeover, so when Tacala presented the idea of renovating the room, I thought it was fantastic," said Art Allen, Executive Director of the Club. "We look forward to enjoying an attractive, inviting Teen Activity Center and are grateful to Tacala for their support." A.G. Gaston serves approximately 400 teens annually at its two club sites. The remodeled Teen Activity Center will allow the Club to explore additional educational programs and offer a place to make friends. It will also serve as a great recruiting tool to attract and retain new members. A dedicated teen staff position is responsible for delivering teen services from 3:00pm to 8:00pm on weekdays. "Our restaurant teams work very hard throughout the year to raise funds for local Boys and Girls Clubs, so it's very rewarding for us to be able to use these funds to create a warm and welcoming environment for teens in the community," said Bill Kelner, Tacala Market Coach.
Tacala employees have contributed both money and time to this effort. "From picking out paint colors to testing out bean bags, my involvement with this project has been so rewarding. I am excited these teens will have a brand new place to hang out, study and socialize," said Mandy English, Tacala employee.
"Tacala is committed to being the premier partner in the communities we serve," said Don Ghareeb, President and CEO of Tacala. "We felt strongly that we all needed to get together as a team and make an impact on teen's lives during this holiday season."
About Team Tacala Charities
In concert with Taco Bell Corp.'s national support of Boys & Girls Clubs of America through the Taco Bell Foundation, the mission of Team Tacala Charities, the charitable foundation of Tacala, is to promote opportunities for teens in our communities, through the support of organizations that specialize in the leadership, career development, character, and health needs of teens. As a related goal, Team Tacala Charities also hopes to inspire volunteerism among Tacala employees by promoting worthwhile organizations in local markets and by providing outlets for participation and involvement.
The primary fundraising activity for Team Tacala Charities is a program called "Round Up" which is generally conducted three times per year. Round Up is a two week program where Service Champions in each Tacala restaurant ask customers to donate their change to support teen programs. Funds collected through Round Up are made available to Boys & Girls Clubs in Tacala markets through grants for teen programs and services, as well as other club requests including facility and equipment upgrades. Since beginning its fundraising efforts in 2002, Team Tacala Charities has distributed over $700,000 to local clubs. In addition, Tacala has raised $1.1 million for the Taco Bell Foundation through a combination of canister collections and other donations.