3rd annual Papa John’s Dreams for Kids Day raises $42,354 in B.C. for Dreams Come True

A new participating location, a growing DreamCookie campaign and an outpouring of community support were the perfect ingredients to make the 3rd annual Papa John’s Dreams for Kids Day, held on April 26th, a tremendous success, raising $42,354.26 to support Sunshine.

This year, the newly opened location in Penticton joined the five other participating Papa John’s locations in Kelowna, West Kelowna, Prince George, North Kamloops and South Kamloops in donating 100 per cent of their sales proceeds from the day-long Dreams for Kids Day event. Many of the Papa John’s staff volunteered their time by donating the day’s wages to help provide even more support.

Leading up to Dreams for Kids Day, Papa John’s also ran its annual DreamCookie campaign, which kicked off on March 15th and this year expanded to include all 20 Papa John’s locations in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia donating a dollar from each DreamCookie sold.

“This was another amazing year for Papa John's Dreams for Kids Day,” says Geoff Linquist, owner of the two Papa John’s locations in Kelowna, and champion for Dreams for Kids Day. “We’re so grateful for the generous support of our customers, the local business community, media, and our staff and volunteers for their caring enthusiasm. Together we raised an incredible $42,354 in support of Sunshine Dream Programs.

“It’s been really rewarding to see Dreams for Kids Day grow each year and to know more kids living with severe physical disabilities will have life-changing experiences because of this day. Thank you to everyone for dreaming big with us."

Since 2015, Papa John’s Dreams for Kids Day has raised more than $130,000 in support of Sunshine. In addition to providing funds for Sunshine Dream Programs, the campaign is also an opportunity to engage volunteers, staff and the community, and to raise awareness about Sunshine’s mission. Each year, community members, local businesses, and emergency service groups have gotten into the spirit, often ordering multiple pizzas and helping to spread the word about the campaign on social media. Some local sports fans have also received a special surprise, with players and mascots from area teams volunteering to help out at the stores and deliver pizzas to customers.

“The tremendous success of Papa John's Dreams for Kids Day is truly a testament to the commitment of store owners and staff to make a positive and lasting difference in the communities where they operate." says Nancy Sutherland, CEO of The Sunshine Foundation of Canada. "We are so thankful for the tremendous generosity of Papa John's owners and staff, local business supporters and every customer who participated so that we can create more life changing experiences for children in the BC Interior and from coast to coast.”