From April 1 through May 15, Jersey Mike’s subs, a national restaurant franchise, is donating $2 from every regular-sized sub purchase at 11 locations throughout Connecticut to Susan G. Komen Southern New England to support local community grant programs and breast cancer research. Purchasers must present a coupon in order to secure the donation, available at KomenSouthernNewEngland.org.
Jersey Mike’s is relatively new to Connecticut, with shops opening locally in the last 18 months. Most Jersey Mike’s locations are owned by Paradigm Investment Group through a partnership between Brian Kelley (La Jolla, Calif.) and local partners, Troy Davidson (NYC), Brian O’Hagan (Greenwich). When the franchise expanded to several Connecticut locations, Carl Pinkard, National Director for Paradigm, contacted Komen Southern New England to support local fundraising efforts.
“One of Jersey Mike’s top priorities is to give back to the communities we serve,” said Pinkard, who joined the Susan G. Komen family in 1998 and has been a board member for the Inland Empire Affiliate of Temecula, CA since 2013. “With so many locations in our Connecticut market it made sense to see if we could help raise funds for Komen Southern New England.”
Pinkard has a long personal history with breast cancer. In 1976, his mother was diagnosed with breast cancer; she passed away in 1978. Six years later, his wife Diane was diagnosed with Stage II breast cancer at just 29 years old. Following a mastectomy, chemotherapy and reconstructive treatments, Diane went into remission for the next 15 years.
In 2001 Diane’s mother received a diagnosis of Stage IV metastatic breast cancer. She passed away that same year. It was also in 2001 that Diane’s cancer–which was in remission–returned. After a year of intense treatment, she went back into remission. On Diane’s fifth anniversary of being cancer-free, her cancer returned for a third time and eventually metastasized to her liver. After a 29-year battle with breast cancer, Diane Pinkard passed away in 2013. “Diane was a woman who never let cancer define who she was,” explained [Carl] Pinkard. “Her courage and strength to always want to help everyone else first was an inspiration to everyone that knew her and she will always be remembered by so many people whose lives she touched.
“Susan G. Komen is by far the largest and most impactful organization in the world that is leading the way on research and clinical trial support,” he said. “Our goal is simple: no woman should ever lose their life to breast cancer. And if it cannot be cured, then it should be able to be controlled.”
Proceeds from the promotion will support the 2016 Race for the Cure® Fairfield County on May 7 at Westport’s Sherwood Island State Park. For more information about Komen Southern New England’s mission, to register for the Race for the Cure or make a donation, visit KomenSouthernNewEngland.org.
Participating locations:
- Wilton: 35 Danbury Road
- Fairfield: 2189 Black Rock Turnpike
- Westport: 390 Post Road East Suite 20
- Derby: 50 Pershing Drive
- Norwalk: 360 Connecticut Ave
- Branford: 845 W. Main St
- Brookfield: 227 Federal Rd
- Ridgefield: 125 Danbury Rd
- Meriden: 533 S. Broad St
- Norwich: 36 Town St #50 1b
- Uncasville: 1 Mohegan Sun Blvd
About Susan G. Komen® Southern New England
Susan G. Komen Southern New England is working to better the lives of those facing breast cancer in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Through events like the Race for the Cure®, Komen Southern New England has raised money that has funded $11 million in community breast health programs in Connecticut, $9 million in Massachusetts, and nearly $7 million to support breast cancer research. For more information, visit KomenSouthernNewEngland.org.
The post Jersey Mike’s supports Susan G. Komen Southern New England appeared first on The Ridgefield Press.