FREEBIRDS World Burrito Celebrates Year of Good Deeds

AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 5, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- FREEBIRDS World Burrito, whose mission is to feed your belly and your soul, announced the success of its 2010 FREEBIRDS World Works program. World Works is the charitable arm of the popular restaurant chain.  "Our mission is to give back to the community by inspiring staff and guests to get involved and create a movement of giving," says Daniel Harf, founder, FREEBIRDS World Works.   In 2010, FREEBIRDS World Works inspired thousands of guests and crew to donate their time and efforts to support more than 64 nonprofit organizations, and participate in over 45 World Works events in the state of Texas. 

Activism has been part of FREEBIRDS since the first location opened at College Station, Texas twenty years ago.  Today, each of the 44 FREEBIRDS World Burrito locations is partnered with two local non-profit organizations, such as Sunshine Kids, Habitat for Humanity, Texas Children's Hospital, Pennies From Heaven Foundation, Meals on Wheels and Operation Homefront .  

According to Annette Beavers, Director of FREEBIRDS World Works, 2010 brought several notable achievements.  In partnership with the Texas Children's Hospital and Mike Chabala, the Houston Dynamo's star soccer player, FREEBIRDS enabled a young cancer patient to achieve her dream of experiencing New York's fashion world first-hand by arranging a visit to the Marchesa design studio and celebrated her recent win of homecoming princess by feeding burritos to her entire senior class.   In Pearland, teen World Works Ambassador and high school student, Amy Rawksii Ham, started a recycling program.  With Texas based, Operation Homefront, FREEBIRDS supported military families over the holidays through the organization's "Adopt A Family" program.

"We invited guests and the community to join FREEBIRDS in adopting a military family, and the response was overwhelming," said Beavers.  Crew members and guests collected numerous gifts such including gift cards, food for the holidays, and toys.   Each of the adopted families was invited in to enjoy a holiday dinner and were surprised with the outpouring of generosity and gifts from the community.  

"We have so many wonderful stories of giving to share," said Beavers.   "For example, one of our San Antonio restaurants, Market at Forum, was able to raise $1100 while securing an entire house full of furniture plus a year's worth of food for their adopted family of eight.  At Bunker Hill, crew members were so committed to the cause that they raised $2000 and bought an Xbox 360 and a guitar for their adopted family.   At our Gateway location, the crew learned their adopted family's son loved baseball and arranged for him to throw out the first pitch at an A&M game."

"We are so pleased with FREEBIRDS tremendous efforts for Operation Homefront and our Adopt A Family program again in 2010," said Jennifer Cernoch, President, Operation Homefront of Texas.  "With their help we made the military families' dreams come true and they were all so grateful for the wonderful Christmas."

FREEBIRDS World Works will continue their good deeds and increase their nonprofit partners and events in and out of the state of Texas in the New Year.

ABOUT FREEBIRDS WORLD WORKS 

FREEBIRDS World Burritos mission is to feed your belly and your soul.  To help achieve this mission, FREEBIRDS World Works was created as the charitable arm of the popular restaurant chain with a mission is to give back to the community by inspiring staff and guests to get involved and create a movement of giving.  Every FREEBIRDS World Burrito location is partnered with two charities to help create awareness, act as a volunteer resource and become ambassadors of their designated non-profit partners.  

ABOUT FREEBIRDS WORLD BURRITO

FREEBIRDS has created a strong following.  Why?  Awesome burritos and freedom of choice.   As guests join the queue, they are partnered with a team member, known as a "Roller," who helps them choose from four sizes of burrito made from four possible flavors of tortilla then hand-rolled with the guest's personal selection from more than forty freshly prepared ingredients including grass fed beef, hormone-free chicken, all natural pork carnitas or crispy fish topped with hand-cut veggies and hot peppers plus house made salsas, queso and guacamole to create their perfect burrito.  Burritos range in size from the generously-sized Hybird to the legendary Super Monster which can weigh-in at seven pounds. 

Each FREEBIRDS restaurant features the concept's signature Statue of Liberty – affectionately known as 'Libby' – riding a custom-built motorcycle while breaking through the Freedom Wall. Libby was designed to serve as a reminder that each of us can break through walls and truly change the world.  The restaurant has a free-spirited ambience with a rockin' soundtrack, reminiscent of a late-'60s rock 'n' roll roadhouse.  Each FREEBIRDS offers online ordering and full service catering for 10 – 10,000.

Concept owner, Tavistock Restaurants, LLC, currently operates 44 FREEBIRDS restaurants in Texas and Oklahoma and is rapidly expanding in California.  For more information or to place an online order, visit www.freebirds.com 

SOURCE FREEBIRDS World Burrito