Boys & Girls Clubs of America Hosts 2012 Great Futures Gala; Honors Taco Bell with Lifetime Achievement Award for 20 Years of Serving America's Teens

IRVINE, Calif., Oct. 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) honored Taco Bell as the first corporation to receive its Lifetime Achievement Award for 20 years of its sustained commitment to teens  at the annual Great Futures Gala hosted Oct. 11 by actor and BGCA alumnus Mario Lopez. The Los Angeles event brought together more than 700 prominent celebrities, business professionals and political leaders in support of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, which serves some 4 million youth through 4,000 Clubs nationwide.

"We are pleased to recognize the significant impact that Taco Bell has made in helping our nation's teens graduate and reach their full potential in life," said Jim Clark, president and chief executive officer, Boys & Girls Clubs of America. "Their longtime support, through the Taco Bell Foundation for Teens, has allowed us to provide meaningful, real-world experiences and mentorship programs that have shaped lives and helped our young people achieve great futures."

Since 1995, Taco Bell's charitable foundation, the Taco Bell Foundation for Teens, has given $35 million to Boys & Girls Clubs of America, making it BGCA's largest supporter of teens to date. More than one million teens have been served through the partnership's mentorship and real-world experience programs.  This includes the Graduate to Go Multi-Media Studios, Camp Taco Bell, Graduate to Go High School Tour and the National Keystone leadership program at 1,600 Boys & Girls Clubs nationwide. In 2012, the Taco Bell Foundation for Teens will provide nearly $5 million in local grants to Boys & Girls Clubs and other teen-serving organizations across the nation.

"Taco Bell will continue to support teens on their journey to graduation because they are our customers, employees, and the future of our communities," said Greg Creed, chief executive officer, Taco Bell Corp. and chairman, Taco Bell Foundation for Teens. "We are proud to of our partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America because they provide teens with the tools and resources they need to graduate and become caring, educated and productive adults."

The Lifetime Achievement Award is an honor given to individuals, corporations, and foundations that have demonstrated exceptional commitment to children.  For more than twenty years the award has been bestowed to those who embody the mission of the Boys & Girls Clubs Movement.  BGCA's mission is to enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible, caring citizens. Recipients of the award are selected by Boys & Girls Clubs of America governors, trustees and staff.  Past awards have been given to individuals.  Taco Bell is the first corporation to be recognized.

About Taco Bell Corp.
Taco Bell Corp., a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc., (NYSE: YUM), is the nation's leading Mexican-inspired quick service restaurant. Taco Bell serves made to order and customizable tacos, burritos, and specialties such as the exclusive Doritos® Locos Tacos, gourmet inspired Cantina Bell™ Menu and lower calorie Fresco Menu. The company encourages customers to "Live Más," both through its food and in ways such as its Feed the Beat® music program and nonprofit organization, the Taco Bell Foundation for Teens. Taco Bell employs more than 150,000 team members in nearly 6,000 restaurants across the United States, and has more than 350 franchise organizations that proudly serve more than 36 million customers every week.

About Taco Bell Foundation for Teens
Taco Bell Foundation, Inc., also known as the Taco Bell Foundation for Teens ("Foundation"), a nonprofit 501(c)(3) public benefit corporation, is committed to addressing the growing number of high school dropouts in the U.S. The Foundation's" Graduate to Go" initiative funds real-world experiences, such as job training and college preparation, proven to motivate teens to stay in school.

The Foundation serves more than 100,000 teens and awards more than 350 grants and scholarships each year. Support includes the Graduate to Go Multi-Media Studios, Camp Taco Bell, and National Keystone leadership program at 1,600 Boys & Girls Clubs nationwide. For more information about Graduate to Go, visit www.graduatetogo.com, and find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GraduateToGo.

Since 1995, more than $42 million has been donated to support teen programs at Boys & Girls Clubs and other teen-serving organizations with the help of on-going customer, franchisee and employee donations.

About Boys & Girls Clubs of America
For more than 100 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (GreatFutures.org) has enabled young people most in need to achieve great futures as productive, caring, responsible citizens.  Today, some 4,000 Boys & Girls Clubs serve nearly 4 million children and teens through Club membership and community outreach. Clubs are located in cities, towns, public housing and on Native American lands throughout the country, and serve military families in BGCA-affiliated Youth Centers on U.S. military installations worldwide. Clubs provide a safe place, caring adult mentors, fun and friendship, and high-impact youth development programs on a daily basis during critical non-school hours. Priority programs emphasize academic success, good character and citizenship, and healthy lifestyles. In a Harris Survey of alumni, 57 percent said the Club saved their lives. National headquarters are located in Atlanta.

Contacts:
Marlee Dippolito
Edelman for Taco Bell
323.202.1038
[email protected]

Diane Murphy
Boys & Girls Clubs of America
310.372.9867
[email protected]

SOURCE Taco Bell Corp.