Sale of Toasty Jack ornament raises money and awareness for youth-mentoring organization

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 22, 2013-- Jack in the Box® restaurants today announced a holiday fundraiser benefiting Big Brothers Big Sisters. For just $1, plus tax, guests may purchase a limited-edition Toasty Jack ornament, with net proceeds benefiting the youth-mentoring organization. (Available at participating Jack in the Box restaurants while supplies last.)

This year, the classic Jack adornment sports a cheerful smile and a snow cap with flaps that will keep it warm and cozy, even on the coldest winter day. Toasty Jack is pre-drilled on the bottom and fashioned with a braided loop on top, offering flexibility for display on a vehicle antenna or holiday tree. Toasty Jack is available with either a red or green hat.

This is the sixth year that Jack in the Box has sold a limited-edition promotional item to raise funds for Big Brothers Big Sisters to provide long-term mentoring services to help children who face adversity succeed in school and in life. The previous fundraisers netted nearly $1.5 million for the youth-mentoring organization.

Funds raised from this year’s promotion will support a variety of Big Brothers Big Sisters’ programs, including military mentoring, which serves children from military families with parents deployed overseas. Jack in the Box is a long-time supporter of military families and helped launch Big Brothers Big Sisters’ Operation Bigs program in San Diego in 2004 at Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base. Military mentoring programs have expanded in San Diego and across the nation since then with support from Jack in the Box.

“Jack in the Box has been a long-time friend, corporate role model, supporter and partner -- a company committed to providing resources for our one-to-one staff-supported volunteer mentoring services,” said Big Brothers Big Sisters of America President and Chief Executive Officer Charles Pierson. “Children served by our agencies face the kind of adversity that comes with growing up in single-parent, low-income and military families. Children whose parents are in the military, particularly those whose moms and dads are deployed, face unique challenges and through the generous support of Jack in the Box, Big Brothers Big Sisters is able to help more children in military families succeed in school and life.”

[Note to media: Visit the online press room at jackinthebox.com for a high-res image of the Toasty Jack ornament.]

About Big Brothers Big Sisters

For more than 100 years, Big Brothers Big Sisters has operated under the belief that inherent in every child is the ability to succeed and thrive in life. As the nation’s largest donor and volunteer supported mentoring network, Big Brothers Big Sisters’ mission is to provide children facing adversity with strong and enduring, professionally supported one-to-one relationships that change their lives for the better, forever.

Partnering with parents/guardians, school, corporations and others in the community, Big Brothers Big Sisters carefully pairs children (“Littles”) with screened volunteer mentors (“Bigs”) and monitors and supports them in one-to-one mentoring matches throughout their course. The organization holds itself accountable for children in the program to achieve measurable outcomes, such as higher aspirations; greater confidence and better relationships; educational success; and avoidance of delinquency and other risky behaviors. Most children served by Big Brothers Big Sisters are in single-parent and low-income families or households where a parent is incarcerated. Headquartered in Philadelphia with as network of about 340 agencies across the country, Big Brothers Big Sisters serves nearly 630,000 children, volunteer mentors and families. Learn how you can positively impact a child’s life, donate, or volunteer at BigBrothersBigSisters.org.

About Jack in the Box Inc.

Jack in the Box Inc. (NASDAQ: JACK), based in San Diego, is a restaurant company that operates and franchises Jack in the Box® restaurants, one of the nation’s largest hamburger chains, with more than 2,200 restaurants in 21 states. The company created The Jack in the Box Foundation in 1998 to focus its charitable giving efforts and make a greater impact in Jack in the Box^® restaurant communities. The Foundation is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization funded by donations from Jack in the Box Inc., its employees, franchisees and vendors. The Foundation has contributed more than $7 million in financial and in-kind support to Big Brothers Big Sisters, its primary charitable partner since 1998. For more information, visit www.jackinthebox.com.

Source: Jack in the Box Foundation

The Jack in the Box Foundation
Kathy Kovacevich, (858) 571-2544
kathy.kovacevich@jackinthebox.com
or
Big Brothers Big Sisters of America
Deanna Sauceda, (267) 301-2605
Deanna.sauceda@bbbs.org