Sandwich sales to benefit Food Bank’s Backpack Program

OKLAHOMA CITY — On Friday, Aug. 4, locally-owned SUBWAY® restaurants in Oklahoma will offer customers a chance to purchase a sandwich and 30 oz. drink and receive a sandwich of equal value for free.

Additionally, SUBWAY® will also donate up to $10,000 in sales from that day to the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma’s Backpack Program.

“Subway® Restaurants are dedicated to giving back to our local communities and this donation on Aug. 4 is just one way we can help end hunger in Oklahoma,” said Keith Wolfe, Subway franchisee with several stores in Oklahoma City. “We are happy to support the Regional Food Bank’s Backpack Program.”

For a list of participating SUBWAY® locations visit www.subway.com. Every $200 raised for the Backpack Program will ensure that a chronically hungry elementary school student will receive a backpack full of kid friendly, nutritious food over the weekend and during school breaks.

“One in four children in Oklahoma struggles with hunger,” said Katie Fitzgerald, chief executive officer of the Regional Food Bank. “Children should never have to worry about where their next meal will come from. Thank you, Subway for helping fight childhood hunger in Oklahoma.”

During the 2015-16 school year, the Backpack Program served more than 21,000 chronically hungry elementary school children attending 512 schools in the Regional Food Bank’s 53-county service area.  

Food is the most essential school supply. Studies show that children who struggle with hunger have difficulty remaining focused in the classroom.

For Dave, a fifth grader who loves math and sports, the backpack he receives every week is helping him be a better student. “The food I take home helps me study and focus better,” he explained. “It really helps my family because we don’t get paid a lot.”

Established in 1980, the Regional Food Bank is the largest private, domestic hunger-relief organization in the state of Oklahoma. Last fiscal year, the nonprofit distributed 52 million pounds of food and products through a network of more than 1,300 charitable feeding programs and schools in 53 central and western Oklahoma counties.