At Capstone Restaurant Group, philanthropy is an important component of our culture. We have a rich history of giving back to the communities in which we live and work. In addition to our restaurant activities, we encourage our Team Members throughout the country to contribute to their communities in any way they can.
The following are some charities we have been active with over the past several years:
Heat-Up St. Louis
The Heat-Up St. Louis charity event focuses on helping elderly people, the disabled and low-income families in a two-state (Missouri and Illinois) area with their delinquent energy bills. Many residents use unsafe methods to heat their homes, such as space heaters. This makes winter a time of the year where apartment and homes fires are more prevalent, risking not only the lives of homeowners, but the lives of their neighbors around them.
Heat-Up St. Louis is currently the only all-volunteer, independent, two-state energy assistance, public education and advocacy charity of its kind in the United States. Since its inception, more than 660,000 people have been impacted.
Hardee’s partners with Heat Up St. Louis every year to help these families. We do this through the Annual Rise and Shine event whereby all of our Hardee’s in the St. Louis Market sell Sausage Biscuits or Egg Biscuits for a $1 and 100% of the proceeds go to Heat-Up St. Louis. We also collect cash donations as well. The event happens in Mid February every year and since 2016 we have raised over $900,000 for Heat-Up St. Louis. More information on Heat-Up St. Louis can be found at www.heatupstlouis.org.
Capstone Foundation – Chip in for Veterans
The Company through its 501(c)3 foundation sponsors an annual charity golf event in Charleston, SC that benefits the Stand Up and Play Foundation, as well as PGA Hope. This event has raised over $800,000 over the last eight years. For further information check out:
https://www.standupandplayfoundation.org/
https://pgareach.org/services/military/
https://www.hardeesgolfforcharity.com/
STARS FOR HEROES
Since 2011, Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s have raised more than $11 Million through Stars for Heroes benefiting active military and veterans in need. The two National beneficiaries are – USA Cares and Stand Up & Play. In additional our local markets can select a local charity.
https://standupandplayfoundation.org/
Local Restaurant Events
Our local markets have been very involved in community activities as well. Below are just some examples of events and campaigns for charity that we have been involved in:
St Louis, MO – For the past 7 years, we have participated in a fundraiser with Operation Food Search and The Dave Glover Show. For every $1.00 we raise, Operation Food Search is able to get $10 in food donations. The efforts of our Team has resulted in raising over $625,000 in donations for Families in the St. Louis Area.
Tri Cities, TN and VA – Our team hosts a fundraiser for the local children’s hospital as well as a Christmas toy drive. Monthly, they donate and serve breakfast at a local soup kitchen serving the inner city homeless and underserved. For over 15 years they have donated food for the local Optimist Club fundraiser that helps fund projects for children in need. As a partner with the local safety council, they work with local volunteers and provide lunch for area 5th graders attending a Kid’s Safety Fair where they learn fire, chemical and personal safety taught by area professionals. Working with the area Habitat for Humanity, they provide lunch weekly for the volunteers working on the houses.
In addition, we have raised over $40,000 for the Isaiah 117 House that provides a safe place for children waiting on foster care placement. We have also partnered with the YMCA to provide art supplies and meals for kids in the afterschool program.
Through our Stars for Heroes program, the South Carolina and West Virginia markets, we have donated over $60,000 to Project Healing Waters. This organization is dedicated to the physical and emotional rehabilitation of disable active military service personnel and disabled veterans through fly fishing and associated activities including education and outings.
Central Illinois Region – Our restaurants in this area raised money through the Hardee’s Stars for Heroes Program that provided the America’s Gold Star Families organization over $150,000 in donations since 2015. This organization provides honor, hope, and healing to families who have lost a loved one in service to our country through the United States Armed Forces. For more information, visit their website at http://www.americasgoldstarfamilies.org.