(Birmingham, AL September 6, 2006) - Boys & Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley 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 Friday, September 1, 2006, at the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley's Back to School Bash at the Moses Teen Center.
"Thanks to the generous grant donation from Tacala Team Charities, teen members of the Moses Teen Center, Montgomery Village Teen Center, and Blount County Boys & Girls Clubs in East Tennessee were able to attend the National Keystone Conference in Washington D.C. in August, along with 1,700 other teens from Keystone Clubs across the United States," stated John D. Lee, President and CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley. ""With the continued support of Team Tacala Charities we will be able to continue our teen programming at the level our teens expect."
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 Tennessee Valley organization is one of 21 grants in Tacala's geography selected to receive funding from Team Tacala Charities this summer. Tacala Market Coach, Marty Johnson and Area Coaches, Donte Smith and John Rankin were on hand to present the check.
"Everyone in our company has really taken supporting Boys & Girls Clubs (B&GC&C) to heart. And when you visit the clubs, and see the kids, it's easy to see why. We're very happy to be here giving this organization these funds," said Mr. Johnson.
Boys & Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley has played an integral role in the community, providing services to over 1,000 teens annually. The Club offers 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 your clubs are doing for the teens in our communities, and we are honored to contribute to this effort," stated Rebekah Woods, Communications Specialist at Tacala, LLC. "We look forward to a warm and productive relationship with the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley."
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.