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| A Colonel Sanders lookalike gives away chicken. Photo: KFC. |
The restaurant, located in the brand's hometown, was converted into a "World Hunger Relief Kitchen" for two hours, during which employees served Kentucky Grilled Chicken meals to about 110 residents from local shelters, KFC spokesman Rick Maynard told Slashfood. It was the first of several closings planned around the country for the 15,000-restaurant chain.
The event kicked off the company's fund- and awareness-raising activities with World Hunger Relief, including fundraisers, food drives and car washes at KFC locations around the country.
"We would like this to be as widespread geographically as possible and to generate as much interest as possible," Maynard said. "What we do is feed people. That's how we all make our living, and we want to do more to try and alleviate the problem of hunger."
Maynard declined to say where or how many restaurants would participate nationwide. While the relief kitchen events are closed to the public, the other events are open and donations can be made to World Hunger Relief online at fromhungertohope.com.
"While KFC feeds the hungry every day, closing restaurants is a bold step in helping to raise money and awareness of world hunger," KFC President Roger Eaton said.
KFC and Yum! Brands, KFC's parent company, have worked with World Hunger Relief since 2007 and have raised about $36 million for the United Nations World Food Programme and other hunger relief organizations, the company said.
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