Hooters, the original American wing joint, is raising awareness for the fight against breast cancer with its “Give A Hoot” fundraising campaign throughout the month of October in honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. After generating $700,000 last year, the Hooters staff and its guests have set an ambitious $1 million goal for the cause in the coming weeks. To date, since the annual October program began in 2002, Hooters has raised a cumulative $8.7 million towards breast cancer research, reinforcing the cause as a priority for a company whose workforce is roughly 70% women, most of which are made up by the iconic Hooters Girls whose numbers have reached nearly 10,000 worldwide.
Throughout October, every Hooters location across the U.S. will encourage guests to support the Give A Hoot campaign by participating in the following ways:
- Donate $1 or more to receive a personalized endowment card to pin in the restaurant or take home
- Make every penny count by rounding up the bill to the nearest dollar to support breast cancer research
- Attend fundraising events held at local Hooters locations
- Purchase the 2024 Hooters Calendar at the nearest location or online at Hooters.com/hooters-girls/calendar with $1 of each purchase benefiting breast cancer research
- Responsibly enjoy limited-time signature “pink drinks" created to raise awareness and funds
The return of the “pink drinks” allows guests to simultaneously raise a glass and proceeds for a great cause, with $1 of each purchase going towards the fight against breast cancer. The Pink Passion consists of a tropical blend including Malibu Coconut Rum, Gran Gala, Triple Orange Liqueur, lime sour, mango purée and fruit juices. The second drink, the Pink Daniels, mixes Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey with black cherry and starry.
“Every year, the Give A Hoot campaign enables our brand to give back to the communities we serve, and we couldn’t do it without the support of our loyal guests,” said Bruce Skala, Hooters chief marketing officer. “The way our Hooters Girls, our staff including the Heart of House and our dedicated guests have rallied behind all the courageous cancer patients and survivors is awe-inspiring and pushes us to do better and think bigger.”
More than 297,000 breast cancer cases will be diagnosed in 2023 and will account for 30% of all female cancer diagnoses each year. With breast cancer being the second leading cause of cancer death for women and one in eight women diagnosed with the disease at some point in their lifetime, the large-scale impact the sickness has on women proves the crucial need for cancer research funding.
Funds raised from Hooters’ Give A Hoot campaign will benefit the V Foundation for Cancer Research, a long-standing cancer research funding organization, and additional recipients through the Kelly Jo Dowd Breast Cancer Research Fund. The fund is part of the Hooters Community Endowment Fund (HOO.C.E.F.) and was established in memory of the late Kelly Jo Dowd. An original Hooters Girl, Kelly Jo bravely fought her own battle against breast cancer, succumbing to the illness in 2007. Fighting selflessly and courageously, she became a dedicated advocate for early detection, education, and fundraising. Today, Kelly Jo’s influence remains as strong as ever through the grants that continue her mission of educating all women, especially her 500,000 sisters consisting of current and former Hooters Girls, about the importance of early detection and prevention.
Founded in 1993 by ESPN and the late Jim Valvano, the V Foundation has funded more than $310 million in life-changing cancer research grants nationwide. Through an endowment funded by the generosity of donors, all administrative expenses are covered, resulting in 100% of direct donations to the foundation being awarded to cancer research. To learn more about The V Foundation for Cancer Research, please visit v.org.
For additional information about the Hooters #GiveAHoot fundraising campaign, visit Hooters.com/Give. Fans can also follow favorite Hooters Girls across social media channels — twitter.com/hooters, facebook.com/hooters, and instagram.com/hooters – for additional details about Give A Hoot events and how to donate or further support breast cancer research.