KFC's Mother's Day promotion also benefits Kosovo refugees

Nation's Restaurant News, May 24, 1999 by Gregg Cebrzynski

LOUISVILLE, KY. -- A 12-yearold girl, from Fargo, N.D., won $5,000, and Kosovo refugees will receive up to $10,000 in aid from KFC's "All-American Salute to Mothers" promotion held earlier this month.

Sixth-grader McKenzie Jordheim was chosen from thousands of students as the winner of the nationwide promotion, in which children designed cards for Mother's Day. She won the cash prize, a variety of educational materials and a trip to Universal Studios in Hollywood, where her card was unveiled by actress Catherine Hicks, who plays the mother on the WB Network's "7th Heaven" television series.

In addition, her card was placed for sale in Hallmark Gold Crown stores. For every one of the Mother's Day cards sold, KEC agreed to donate $1, up to a maximum of $10,000, to the Kosovo relief effort sponsored by the relief agency Save the Children. The donation will be used to send family kits containing food, diapers, medical supplies and clothes to children and families in Albania and Montenegro.

The contribution also will be used to start educational programs to help restore normalcy to the lives of children affected by the Balkan war.

"Colonel Sanders held a special place in his heart for children," KEC president and chief operating officer Chuck Rawley said in a statement. "We hope that through this donation we can help make the lives of the Kosovar families more bearable during this crisis."

The winning card and the second- and third-place winners were featured in the May 11 issue of Family Circle magazine. Winners also were named from each state and Washington, D.C. Each of the winning cards was placed on KFC's Web site for on-line users who wanted to select a card, write a personal message and send it free by e-mail to their mothers.

Although the card-drawing contest is the highlight of the promotion, KEC tries to make it a learning experience for students.

Last fall KFC sent Mother's Day educational kits to elementary schools throughout the United States. The kits encouraged students to explore their relationships with their mothers and included exercises in social studies, language and art.

Students also learned about the history of Mother's Day and the evolving role of women in society.