Panera Cafes Launch Pink Ribbon Bagel Campaign
WARREN, Ohio – Throughout October, a portion of the proceeds from Pink Ribbon Bagel sales at Panera Bread bakery cafes operated by Covelli Enterprises will be donated to the Joanie Abdu Comprehensive Breast Care Center at St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital.
Covelli Enterprises launched its annual month-long Pink Ribbon Bagel campaign yesterday at its Mahoning Valley Panera Bread cafés in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
On Fridays in October, 100% of the proceeds from each bagel sold will benefit the center.
Since the program’s inception, Covelli Enterprises has raised nearly $3 million to support breast cancer programs in the communities it serves. Locally, the 2016 Pink Ribbon Bagel event resulted in a one-day total of more than 12,000 bagels sold and $25,000 for the cause.
The Abdu Center also is the beneficiary of funds raised at the annual Panerathon, which has raised $2 million for the JACBCC over the past eight years.
“We are so grateful to Sam and Caryn Covelli for their strong dedication to the Joanie Abdu Comprehensive Breast Care Center. Through their generosity and the loyalty of the Panerathon participants and Pink Ribbon Bagels, we are able to deliver life-saving diagnostics to many women regardless of their ability to pay,” said Paul Homick, Mercy Health Foundation Mahoning Valley president.
The Pink Ribbon Bagel, shaped in the form of the iconic pink ribbon, features cherry chips, dried cherries and cranberries, vanilla, honey, and brown sugar, and is baked fresh each morning by Panera’s bakers at each bakery-cafe. One of Panera Bread’s first franchisees, a breast cancer survivor, developed the Pink Ribbon Bagel in 2001 as a way to help support breast cancer research.
“Our support for the Joanie Abdu Comprehensive Breast Care Center is an on-going priority for us,” Sam Covelli, owner/operator of Covelli Enterprises, said. “The funds raised by the Pink Ribbon Bagel are helping to save the lives of women with breast cancer right here in our Valley. There’s no better feeling than knowing you can help make difference.”
Panera Bread is encouraging customers to take a photo with their Pink Ribbon Bagels to share their support for the cause on social media using #morethandough. The cafes are accepting pre-orders for bagels here.
This year, the amount raised through the Pink Ribbon Bagel sales will be matched by Youngstown State University’s Zeta Tau Alpha sorority. The funds from both the Pink Ribbon Bagel sales and the ZTA match will be presented at the 17th annual Pink Ribbon Cheer Classic at YSU on Oct. 22.
Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
