McDonald’s partners with 500 Festival for August 20 fundraising event at 71^st Street restaurant

INDIANAPOLIS (Aug. 17, 2020) – The 500 Festival, a nonprofit organization providing life-enriching events and programs that celebrate the spirit and legacy of the Indianapolis 500®, today announced a donation “drive-thru” fundraiser benefitting the 500 Festival Foundation will be held on Thursday, Aug. 20, 2020, at the McDonald’s restaurant located at 6056 W. 71st St. in Indianapolis. The 500 Festival Foundation is a fully-charitable 501(c)3 organization that serves communities across Indiana by providing support for the 500 Festival’s free health and education programs for Hoosier youth.  The 500 Festival Foundation’s community investments provide a calendar of community activities and programs to help enrich the lives of more than 100,000 Indiana youth annually.

 

As part of the fundraiser, a special drive-thru lane, staffed by 500 Festival Princesses and employees, will be setup in the 71^st St. McDonald’s parking lot for the community to make donations to the Foundation. In addition, the restaurant will donate a portion of that day’s sales to the 500 Festival Foundation. Cash and credit card donations will be accepted from 6 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 20.

 

“The 500 Festival is grateful to the generosity of local McDonald’s owner / operators, James and Pam Poore, for stepping-in to support the 500 Festival Foundation during this unprecedented year,” said Bob Bryant, president and CEO of the 500 Festival. “We are one of the many nonprofit organizations facing hardships due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We continue to be blown away by the tremendous community support, like that of McDonald’s and the Poore Organization, to help keep our events and programs around for the future.”

 

Earlier this year, the 500 Festival announced it would not produce its traditional calendar of in-person events in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Both the 500 Festival and the 500 Festival Foundation use revenues from registrations and ticket sales to these in-person events to support the above programs. In addition, the 500 Festival will continue its focus on creating new ways for the community to celebrate the Indianapolis 500 virtually. The fundraiser at McDonald’s will help mitigate the financial impact to the Festival and Foundation due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

“We are honored to be able to support the 500 Festival and their work enriching lives,” said James Poore, McDonald’s owner/operator and 500 Festival board director and Pamela Poore, McDonald’s owner/operator. “McDonald’s has remained committed to our local community by staying open during these difficult times and while the community is unable to attend the 500 Festival events or the Indianapolis 500 in-person this year, we hope that they will still come out for the fundraiser to ensure these traditions remain in-place for future generations.”

 

The mission of the 500 Festival Foundation is to ensure relevance, reach, and sustainability of the 500 Festival’s mission to enrich lives and foster positive community impact and celebrate the Indianapolis 500. The 500 Festival currently produces events and programs for over 100,000 Indiana youth every year. The content includes educational curriculum, study trips, internships, scholarships and fitness related experiences. Donations from the upcoming “drive-thru” fundraiser will help support the 500 Festival Foundation’s investment in:

 

500 Festival’s Free Youth Programs

The 500 Festival’s youth programs include the 500 Festival & Indianapolis 500 Education Program, presented by Indiana University Health, the 500 Festival Mini-Moves Program and the 500 Festival KidsFit Program. All youth programs are free to Indiana educators and provide resources and unique experiences for Hoosier students to explore the Indianapolis 500’s important role in state history and leverage the iconic and globally recognized event to inspire physical activity in kids.

 

500 Festival Youth Events

The 500 Festival’s youth-specific events include: The Salesforce & JPMorgan Chase 500 Festival Kids’ Day, the Salesforce & JPMorgan Chase 500 Festival Rookie Run and the 500 Festival mini-mini kids’ run. Youth specific 500 Festival events are free or low cost to ensure participation is open to all Hoosier children.

 

500 Festival Princess Program

Each year, 33 of Indiana’s most civic-minded, academically driven young women are selected to serve as a 500 Festival Princess. The 500 Festival Princess Program provides young women with countless opportunities for scholarship, leadership and professional development. 500 Festival Princesses participate in personal and professional development initiatives that empower them to make a profound impact within their community and Indiana. Each 500 Festival Princess receives a $1,000 scholarship, made possible by the 500 Festival Foundation and Marlyne Sexton.

 

500 Festival Intern Program

The 500 Festival Intern Program allows students to gain valuable experience while being part of the month of May in a new and exciting way. Each spring, approximately 10 college interns join the 500 Festival in preparation for May. With the 500 Festival Foundation’s support, we provide paid, hands-on internship experiences for college students that foster an aptitude for community service, civic engagement and leadership.

 

In accordance with CDC and local government guidelines, 500 Festival Princesses and staff will practice social distancing and wear face coverings throughout the outdoor fundraiser. Donors are asked to remain in their cars and contactless cash donations will be accepted. Any donor who contributes $25 or more during this Aug. 20 drive-thru fundraiser will receive a commemorative 500 Festival thank you gift, while supplies last.

 

To learn more about the 500 Festival Foundation and how you can support, visit 500festival.com/foundation.

 

About the 500 Festival

Founded in 1957, the 500 Festival is a not-for-profit organization that produces more than 50 life-enriching events and programs that celebrate the spirit and legacy of the Indianapolis 500 and positively impact the city of Indianapolis and state of Indiana. One of the largest festivals in the nation, each year more than half a million people attend an event or program produced by the 500 Festival. Since its founding, the 500 Festival has contributed more than $500 million in economic value to Indianapolis. To learn more about the 500 Festival, please visit www.500festival.com or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

 

About McDonald’s USA

McDonald's USA, LLC, serves a variety of menu options made with quality ingredients to more than 25 million customers every day. Nearly 90 percent of McDonald's 14,000 U.S. restaurants are independently owned and operated by businessmen and women. Customers can now log online for free at approximately 11,500 participating Wi-Fi enabled McDonald's U.S. restaurants. For more information, visit: www.mcdonalds.com, or follow us on Twitter @McDonalds and Facebook

www.facebook.com/McDonaldsUS/.

###

Media Contact: Sabrina List, 500 Festival

317.614.6141 | slist@500festival.com