Even as participation grows to never matched before participants, Smithfield’s Chicken ‘N Bar-B-Q® cooks up creative ways to continue supporting worthy local endeavors with eastern NC flavor and a healthy dose of social media savvy

(Cary, NC) – Smithfield’s Chicken ‘N Bar-B-Q® (SCNB) is once again humbled to celebrate the success of the fundraising chapter of the St. Baldrick’s Foundation known as “The Bald Entrepreneurs” – a group of small business owners and community leaders based in Wake Forest, NC. “The Factory” event location, which annually hosts willing “shavees” and fundraisers who are willing to go bald in support of the non-profit foundation cited as being the “world’s largest private funder of childhood cancer research grants”, takes place at a former northern Wake County commercial manufacturing property that has been renovated to house restaurants, a YMCA location, retail and local recreational facilities.

The restaurant-community partnership started small several years ago with Smithfield’s Chicken ‘N Bar-B-Q® providing donated signature menu items (eastern NC bar-b-q, fried chicken, hush puppies, sides and sweet tea) for the after-party, but has since grown to feature “fundraising boxes” created by the restaurant brand, that allow “The Bald Entrepreneurs” to feed hungry guests while continuing their fundraising efforts throughout the day of shaving.

Fundraising support didn’t end this year with simply feeding fundraisers, either. The support continued across geographic boundaries and was practically limitless when @SCNBNC took to Twitter to continue support for the cause – @SCNBNC Twitter followers were asked to tweet “#BBQbeatscancer” while the restaurant brand promised to donate $1.00 for every tweet of support posted. Almost a week after the first “tweet of support” was posted, Smithfield’s Chicken ‘N Bar-B-Q® Marketing Director Richard Averitte says that he was still counting tweets in response.

Even prior to #BBQbeatscancer’s final total of tweets could be calculated, the The Factory St. Baldrick’s group estimated participation and fundraising in excess of “335 shavees and over $123,000.00 in fundraising”, according to Carol R. Wessler, Accounting Director for Charleston Management Corp., who volunteered to help organize the fundraising group’s efforts. “We had a great turn out and the day was filled with anticipation, excitement and sometimes tears!” added Wessler.

“When we have the opportunity to partner with community groups that excel at accomplishing their charitable goals, we are proud to be able to continue that support as these groups grow and flourish”, explains Richard Averitte, Marketing Director of Smithfield’s Chicken ‘N Bar-B-Q®. “As an individual brand, we’d be hard-pressed to engage the kind of support and dedication that groups like this are able to cultivate in their own backyards, which are in the communities we’re grateful to serve with our locations”, he adds.

For more information on Smithfield’s Chicken ‘N Bar-B-Q®, please visit http://www.SCNBNC.com, visit the brand’s Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/SCNBNC, or stay updated with more tailgate season tweets from @SCNBNC on Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/SCNBNC).