(Birmingham, AL October 19, 2006) - Boys & Girls Club of Smoky Mountains are one step closer to better serving teenagers in the community due to a $5,000 teen program grant provided by Team Tacala Charities, the charitable foundation of Tacala, LLC, a franchisee of Taco Bell Corporation. The grant was presented Tuesday, October 17th at the Steak and Stake Fundraising Event held at Music Road Convention Center.
"The Tacala grant will be used to increase and improve the late night teen program on Friday nights and help fscholarships for disadvantaged teen members to attend the activities," stated Mark Ross, Executive Director of Boys & Girls Club of Smoky Mountains. "About 18% of our 1300 members are teens who are almost ready to enter the working world. The Boys & Girls Club teen programming will play an important role in whether they are prepared to become responsible citizens and leaders, so we are very grateful for the generous grant from Team Tacala Charities," stated Ross.
In addition to participating in the national Taco Bell program to collect money for Boys & Girls Clubs of America, called TEENSupreme, Tacala restaurants also conduct "Round Up" a Tacala fundraiser held three times per year specifically to raise funds for local clubs in markets where it operates restaurants. The grant awarded to the Smoky Mountains is one of 21 grants in Tacala's geography selected to receive funding from Team Tacala Charities. Tacala Area Coach, Pam Hooks was on hand to present the check on behalf of Team Tacala Charities.
"We're thrilled to be here giving these funds to the Smoky Mountains. I've seen first hand the impact the Clubs have on teenagers, and I am proud to be associated with this organization," said Ms. Hooks.
Boys & Girls Club of Smoky Mountains has played an integral role in the community providing programs that emphasize character and leadership development, education and career enhancement, health and life skills, the arts, and sports, fitness and recreation.
"We admire and appreciate what these clubs are doing for the teens in our communities, and we are excited about continuing a productive relationship between our restaurants and the Club," stated Rebekah Woods, Communications Specialist at Tacala, LLC.
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.