International Dairy Queen, Inc. has been serving delicious food and treats since their founding in 1940 in Kankakee, Illinois. The Dairy Queen system is one of the largest fast food systems in the world with more than 5,900 restaurants in the United States, Canada and 20 foreign countries (dairyqueen.com).
The Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) creates real miracles by raising funds for local children’s hospitals. CMN hospitals represent the premier pediatric healthcare facilities in their respective communities, treating children of all afflictions, including cancer, birth defects, accidents and muscular and cardiovascular diseases. These hospitals treat more than 17 million children each year and are supported by their many sponsors, one major sponsor being Dairy Queen. The Dairy Queen system has been a proud national sponsor of Children’s Miracle Network since 1984 and has helped raise over $77 million dollars in 25 years. (chidrensmiraclenetwork.org)
Dairy Queen gives to CMN in many ways, a few being by hosting special events, collecting spare change and selling paper Miracle Balloons. Dairy Queen’s major annual CMN fundraiser is known as Miracle Treat Day and is held every year in August. On this day, portions of the proceeds from Blizzard sales benefit the children’s hospital in your local area. This year’s Miracle Treat Day will take place on Thursday, August 5th and will once again prove “miracles do come true”! “Helping Kids One Blizzard at a Time”, is the motto Dairy Queen uses for Miracle Treat Day. For the last three years, Miracle Treat Day has encompassed both Canada and the United States. In 2009, the Dairy Queen System raised approximately $4.5 million just in Blizzard proceeds from this one-day event. A successful Miracle Treat Day combined with the sale of Miracle Balloons and canisters helped raise nearly $5.7 million for children in the United States and Canada. (miracletreatday.com)
Dairy Queen quickly learned the importance of social media when they increased their sales from Miracle Treat Day 2008 to 2009 by 50% from Facebook, Twitter, a DQ Corporate blog and a blog for the Blizzard Fan Club. www.miracletreatday.com allows visitors to log on and make a “promise” to eat a DQ Blizzard. Their name and pledge will be displayed on a floating Miracle Balloon on the home page. This website also allows visitors to make a direct donation to CMN and easily access their website as well as watch success stories for children helped by CMN.
The Miss America Organization is also partnered with CMN and often assist in the promotion of Miracle Treat Day by serving at a local franchise or participating in the media promotion such as TV and radio interviews. Miss America 2009, Katie Stam, served Blizzards in 2009 at the DQ in Orlando. “I am honored to be a spokesperson for Children's Miracle Network to promote Miracle Treat Day, as I know this event will do so much to help children in local hospitals throughout North America,” said Katie.
Dairy Queen also supports scholastic achievement for students of all ages. They offer opportunities for tours of the restaurant for students in grades 1-4 and teach the importance of cleanliness and hard work, along with making their own DQ cone. Dairy Queen also provides discount cards for students in high school or college. They often donate a frozen cake or other products for local school activities. Support Community is one of Dairy Queen’s values and it states, We believe in giving back to the communities in which we live, work, and do business.
To assist in the Haiti Relief, 45 DQ Employees volunteered at the Feed My Starving Children as a branch of DQ Cares at a site in Chanhassen, Minnesota. Feed My Starving Children is a non-profit Christian organization committed to feeding God’s starving children hungry in body and spirit. During two days, they packed a total of 78,336 meals for families affected. Dairy Queen also made a donation to Feed My Starving Children to help defray the cost of ingredients and packaging the food. (dairyqueen.com)
Dairy Queen loves to provide their customers with promotions and discounts. By joining their Blizzard Fan Club, you will be sent a coupon for a free Blizzard with the purchase of another and also receive coupons on your birthday. Today nearly 2.3 million members are apart of the Blizzard Fan Club and the numbers are still growing. Throughout the year in this club, members receive six free Blizzards. In honor of the Blizzard’s 25th Birthday, Dairy Queen is hitting the road to distribute more than 75,000 free new Mini Blizzards, which will be available in stores in August. The Blizzard mobile will include activities, games, music and a chance to win prizes, all while raising awareness and funds for Children’s Miracle Network (businesswire.com). This event will be heavily promoted on their Facebook and Twitter accounts. As a continuation of this event, from April 19-25 Dairy Queen locations celebrated Customer Appreciation Week where customers could buy one Blizzard and get a second for only 25 cents.
The International Dairy Queen Company is a very generous one and loves to give to their customers, community and Children's Miracle Network.
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