Little Caesars Founder Michael Ilitch also in Washington to Receive Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary’s Award for Philanthropic Work
WASHINGTON, Sept. 17 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The Little Caesars Love Kitchen will roll into downtown Washington to provide fresh, hot pizza meals for approximately 250 people in need in front of the Department of Veterans Affairs building at 810 Vermont Avenue NW on Monday, Sept. 17, 2007.
A big rig, pizza kitchen on wheels, the Love Kitchen travels across the continental United States and Canada, meeting the needs of the hungry, the homeless and disaster survivors.
“The Love Kitchen was created to provide quality meals to people in need,” said David Scrivano, president, Little Caesar Enterprises, Inc. “Giving back has been part of the way Little Caesars does business since shortly after the first store opened in 1959. As a family company, we are proud to work with our franchisees and company-owned stores to coordinate the Love Kitchen vehicle, staff and food and to be there for the people in Washington, DC who need assistance.”
The Little Caesars Love Kitchen has fed nearly 2 million people in 48 states and three Canadian provinces. It has also responded to disasters such as the hurricanes in the Gulf Coast, the site of the World Trade Center attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, and the 1995 Federal Building bombing in Oklahoma City.
Established by the Ilitch family in 1985, the Love Kitchen exemplifies Little Caesars’ strong tradition of giving back to America’s communities. Another example is the Little Caesars Veterans Program. Created under the direction of Michael Ilitch, founder and chairman of Little Caesars, the program launched on November 9, 2006 (Veterans Day) provides U.S. military veterans business opportunities as they transition to civilian life or seek a career change.
In recognition of his service to veterans through the Little Caesars Veterans Program, Honorable R. James Nicholson, Secretary of Veterans Affairs, will present Michael Ilitch with the Secretary’s Award, the highest tribute given to a private citizen by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. The ceremony will take place today in the nation’s capitol at the Department of Veteran’s Affairs at 2:30 p.m. ET.
Former U.S. Presidents Bill Clinton and George Bush awarded The President’s Volunteer Action Award Citation to Little Caesars for its volunteers’ contributions to the Little Caesars Love Kitchen. Little Caesars also received a Presidential Citation for Private Sector Initiatives for the Love Kitchen program under the Reagan administration. It has received a certificate of appreciation from the State of Michigan and was recently recognized by the Detroit City Council for its efforts in the Gulf Coast region.
About Little Caesars
Little Caesars Pizza founders Michael and Marian Ilitch opened their first restaurant in Garden City, Michigan in 1959. Today, Little Caesars is the largest carry-out chain in the world with restaurants on five continents. Little Caesars is growing in prime markets across the country, and is offering strong franchisee candidates an opportunity for independence with a proven system. In addition, Little Caesars offers strong brand awareness with one of the most recognized characters in the country, Little Caesar, that appeals to both adults and children.
Little Caesars is an Ilitch-owned company along with, the Detroit Red Wings, Detroit Tigers, Olympia Entertainment, Olympia Development, Blue Line Foodservice Distribution, Champion Foods, Uptown Entertainment, Little Caesars Pizza Kit Fundraising Program, and a variety of venues within these entities. For more information about prime franchising opportunities with Little Caesars or the Little Caesars Veterans Program, visit www.LittleCaesars.com
