Olive Garden's 12th Annual Pasta For Pennies Raises Record $4.2 Million to Benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

Olive Garden's 12th Annual Pasta For Pennies Raises Record $4.2 Million to Benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

ORLANDO, Fla., July 12 /PRNewswire/ -- A record $4.2 million in pocket change was collected by students for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society during Olive Garden's annual Pasta For Pennies program, nearly $1 million more than last year. This brings the total raised for the Society since the program's inception in 1994 to $31 million.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060712/FLW012
Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050203/FLTH026LOGO )

Every year, more than one million students across the country collect coins during a three-week period in the school year for Olive Garden's Pasta For Pennies. The class collecting the most funds in each school receives a pasta party courtesy of their local Olive Garden and all money raised stays in the local community.

"It's great that the momentum for Pasta For Pennies continues to grow after 12 years," said Dave Pickens, president of Olive Garden. "With a new record of $4.2 million, these students and our restaurant teams are excited and as committed as ever to making an impact in their communities."

Students nationwide were recognized for their efforts during a segment on "The Tony Danza Show," in which host Tony Danza congratulated them on a job well done and for making a difference in their communities. "I know their hard work and caring will go a long way to help patients and families in their own neighborhoods," said Danza.

Downey High School in Downey, Calif., was the top Pasta For Pennies fundraising school, collecting $50,036.30.

Other top fundraising schools include:

* Orange High School in Orange, Calif., which raised $42,539 and was featured on the "The Tony Danza Show" for its creative fundraising tactics and long-time involvement with the program;

* Princeton High School in Princeton, Ohio, which raised $39,000; and
* Woodward Academy in College Park, Ga., which raised $19,172.58.

The top fundraising Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Chapter in the country was Central Florida, where 264 schools raised $505,000.

"Every year students go above and beyond the call of duty to make Pasta For Pennies a success," said Dwayne Howell, the Society's president and CEO. "Olive Garden and all of these outstanding students are helping us advance our mission to cure blood cancers and improve the quality of life for patients and their families."

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, headquartered in White Plains, NY, is the world's largest voluntary health organization dedicated to funding blood cancer research and providing education and patient services. The Society's mission is to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, and to improve the quality of life of patients and their families. Since its founding in 1949, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society has invested more than $483 million for research specifically targeting leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma. Last year alone, the Society made 4.3 million contacts with patients, caregivers and healthcare professionals through services provided at its home office and by its 66 chapters in the United States and Canada. For more information about the Society, visit http://www.lls.org/ .

Olive Garden is the leading restaurant in the Italian dining segment with 582 restaurants, 70,000 employees and $2.6 billion in annual sales. Olive Garden is a division of Darden Restaurants Inc. (NYSE:DRI), the world's largest casual dining company. For more information, visit Olive Garden's Web site at http://www.olivegarden.com/ .

Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060712/FLW012
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050203/FLTH026LOGO
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: Olive Garden

CONTACT: Laura Davis, Pierson Grant Public Relations, +1-954-776-1999,
ext. 243, for Olive Garden; or Steve Coe, Olive Garden, +1-407-245-4923; or
Andrea Grief, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, +1-914-821-8958

Web site: http://www.olivegarden.com/
http://www.lls.org/

Company News On-Call: http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/105228.html

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