Franchising Industry Honors the Best, Most Innovative Community Leaders and Charitable Programs Nationwide
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Sept. 29, 2015)
The International Franchise Association (IFA) Educational Foundation announced today the winners of its inaugural Franchising Gives Back Awards, who were honored at a special event yesterday in Washington, D.C.
The IFA Educational Foundation recognized five Gold Winners at the Franchising Gives Back Celebration & Awards Dinner, including:
- Spirit of Franchising Award — Denny’s
- Enduring Impact Award — Jersey Mike’s Subs
- Support Our Veterans Award — CertaPro Painters
- Innovation and Impact Award — Figaro’s Italian Pizza, Inc.
- The Newcomer Award — Church's Chicken
Ten additional Silver Award Winners were recognized. They are:
- Spirit of Franchising Award — Massage Envy Spa (The Arthritis Foundation) and Sport Clips Haircuts (American Red Cross) (Sport Clips and American Red Cross representatives pictured above)
- Enduring Impact Award — Marriott International (Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals) and The Melting Pot (St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital)
- Support Our Veterans Award — CKE Restaurant Holdings, Inc. (Stars for Heroes) and Golden Corral Buffet & Grill (Camp Corral Foundation)
- Innovation and Impact Award — Jibu (Water Club Program) and Wingstop (Wingstop Flavor Tour)
- The Newcomer Award — Moe’s Southwest Grill in Abilene, Texas (Taylor County Sheriff’s Office) and SOLDIERFIT (22 Needs A Face Foundation)
“On behalf of the IFA Educational Foundation, I want to congratulate the first-ever award winners of the Franchising Gives Back Awards,” said John Reynolds, CFE, president of the IFA Educational Foundation. “The winners are outstanding examples of how franchise businesses support their communities through charitable acts throughout the year.”
Established by a generous donation from Roark Capital Group, Franchising Gives Back salutes the best, most innovative community leaders and charitable programs nationwide.
“We are honored to be part of Franchising Gives Back and recognize those businesses with an exceptional commitment to community leadership across the U.S. and around the world,” said Steve Romaniello, CFE, managing director, Roark Capital Group. “These companies will set an example for our industry to follow and inspire others to join our efforts in making a difference.”
For more information on the awards winners and Franchising Gives Back, please visit www.franchisinggivesback.org.
As part of the ongoing initiative for Franchising Gives Back, the IFA Educational Foundation is developing a national registry of the franchising industry’s charitable contributions. Members of the IFA can register and create a profile for their organization by visiting franchisinggivesback.org, where they can submit details about their charitable activities — including hours volunteered and money donated — as well as upcoming events, news and blog posts.
Franchising Gives Back depends on donations to the IFA Educational Foundation. For more information on contributing to Franchising Gives Back through its partner program — including sponsorship opportunities for the Annual Awards event — please visit franchisinggivesback.org/who-we-are/partners/.
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About the International Franchise Association Educational Foundation
Founded in 1983, the IFA Educational Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) tax-exempt organization and supported through the generous contributions of IFA members and others. The Foundation’s mission is to advance franchising and the free enterprise system by increasing the knowledge and professional standards of all members of the franchising community; educating the next generation of franchise practitioners; increasing recognition of franchising’s key role in the free enterprise system; and providing comprehensive information and research about important developments and trends in franchising.
About the International Franchise Association
Celebrating 55 years of excellence, education and advocacy, the International Franchise Association is the world's oldest and largest organization representing franchising worldwide. IFA works through its government relations and public policy, media relations and educational programs to protect, enhance and promote franchising and the more than 780,000 franchise establishments that support nearly 8.9 million direct jobs, $890 billion of economic output for the U.S. economy and 3 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). IFA members include franchise companies in over 300 different business format categories, individual franchisees and companies that support the industry in marketing, law, technology and business development.
About Roark Capital Group
Roark Capital Group is an Atlanta-based private equity firm that specializes in franchise, brand management, environmental services and marketing services companies with attractive growth prospects. Roark focuses on middle-market investment opportunities through family-owned business transfers, management and corporate buyouts, recapitalizations, going-private transactions and corporate divestitures. The firm has $3 billion of equity capital under management. For more information, visit www.roarkcapital.com.
About Sport Clips Haircuts
Sport Clips Haircuts is headquartered in Georgetown, Texas. It was established in 1993 by founder and CEO Gordon Logan and started franchising in 1995. The sports-themed haircutting franchise, which specializes in haircuts for men and boys, is ranked by Entrepreneur as one of the Top 10 ”Fastest-Growing Franchises” and ranks 36th in the “Franchise 500.” It is also ranked by FORBES as a “Top Ten Best Franchise” to buy for its investment category. With more than 1,400 Sport Clips stores, new locations open each month in the U.S. and Canada. Sport Clips is the “Official Haircutter” of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), offers veterans preferential pricing on haircuts and franchises, and was named as one of the “2016 Best for Vets: Franchises” by Military Times. Our “Help A Hero” program has raised more than $3 million to help deployed and hospitalized U.S. service members call home through the VFW’s Operation Uplink™ and to provide scholarships for veterans transitioning to a civilian career. Sport Clips is a proud sponsor of Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin and Carl Edwards, and partners with numerous NCAA and professional sports teams. To learn more about Sport Clips, visit sportclips.com.