Whataburger and the Corpus Christi Hooks are joining forces with the Food Bank of Corpus Christi and United Way of the Coastal Bend's Operation S.O.S. for a season-long campaign to fight hunger and provide much-needed school supplies to children.
Hooks fans who make a donation to the Food Bank of Corpus Christi or the United Way of the Coastal Bend's Operation S.O.S. at select donation points will receive a voucher good for two general admission tickets to a Hooks home game, courtesy of Whataburger and the Hooks.
The methods of giving are simple:
- Leave non-perishable food items and/or new and unused school supplies in the large Whataburger fry box outside the Whataburger Field Box Office on any Wednesday during the 2010 Hooks season.
- Food items and school supplies may also be dropped in receptacles outside the box office ticket windows on any other game day/night of the season, with the exception of the season finale on Monday, September 6. Donations will be accepted at the Whataburger Field business offices during normal hours of operation on non-game days as well.
- Another food item drop point is the Food Bank of Corpus Christi, 826 Krill Street. School supplies are also welcome at the United Way of the Coastal Bend offices, 711 N. Carancahua, Suite 302. Contributors receive the Hooks ticket benefit upon visiting these locations.
- To donate on-line and receive the ticket benefit, go to foodbankofcorpuschristi.org or uwcb.org (Operation S.O.S.).
"Whataburger's partnership with the Hooks to benefit the Food Bank of Corpus Christi and Operation S.O.S. is part of our 'Whataburger Serves' initiative to share the Whataburger spirit of selfless service with customers and the community," said Rob Rodriguez, senior regional director of operations for Whataburger Restaurants. "Whataburger has a long history of community involvement, which dates back to the 1950s when our founder, Harmon Dobson, supported Corpus Christi Little League teams."
"This will be a cornerstone campaign for Hooks Help during the 2010 season," team president Ken Schrom said. "Youth, education and charity are the three targets under this umbrella for our community outreach. The partnership with Whataburger and these fine agencies enables us to effectively reach all three areas and make a positive difference in the lives of residents throughout the Coastal Bend."
The Hooks play 70 home games at Whataburger Field between April 15 and September 6. For the complete schedule, go to cchooks.com
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The Food Bank of Corpus Christi is an independent organization that solicits and distributes food that might otherwise go to waste or be discarded by manufacturers, wholesalers or retailers. Since 1982, the food bank has fought hunger in the Coastal Bend by providing food and personal care products to various charity and service agencies in an 11-county area (Aransas, Bee, Brooks, Duval, Jim Wells, Kenedy, Kleberg, Live Oak, McMullen, Nueces and San Patricio).
Operation Supply Our Students United Way of the Coastal Bend is working to advance the common good in our community by focusing on the basic building blocks of a good life: education, income and health. In the area of education, United Way is helping children and youth achieve their potential. Operation S.O.S. is a United Way of the Coastal Bend-sponsored collection in collaboration with KRIS Communications, H-E-B and Goodwill Industries of South Texas. The goal of the collection is to provide new school supplies for students in need for the first day of school. One hundred percent of donations to Operation S.O.S. are used to purchase school supplies.
Whataburger has focused on its fresh, made-to-order burgers and friendly customer service since 1950 when Harmon Dobson opened the first Whataburger as a small roadside burger stand in Corpus Christi, Texas. Dobson gave his restaurant a name he hoped to hear customers say every time they took a bite of his made-to-order burgers: "What a burger!" Within the first week, people lined up around the block for his 25 cent, all-American beef burgers served on five-inch buns. Today, the company is headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, with more than 700 locations in 10 states with sales of more than $1 billion annually. Visit www.whataburger.com for more information on the company.
Corpus Christi Hooks Baseball is in its sixth season. The Hooks are members of the eight-team Texas League and Double-A affiliate of the Houston Astros. Reid Ryan, oldest son of baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan, is founder and CEO of the Hooks and Round Rock Express. Hooks Help was established in 2006 to positively impact Coastal Bend citizens. It revolves around the desire to serve through youth-, education and charity-related initiatives.
