Limeades for Learning® Reaches New Heights in Helping Classrooms

Voting reaches all-time high as SONIC® Drive-In Donates More Than $700,000 to Public Schools

News provided by

Nov 14, 2011, 07:00 ET

OKLAHOMA CITY, Nov. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Give Limeades for Learning voters an A+ for awesomeness.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110829/CG58741LOGO)

They voted in record numbers for their favorite teachers' projects throughout the fall as part of SONIC Drive-In's annual national cause initiative, resulting in 1,471 projects funded and $714,230 donated to help inspire creativity and learning in the classroom.

This year's Limeades for Learning campaign, SONIC's third in partnership with DonorsChoose.org, placed a lofty goal in front of participants: 1.5 million votes via LimeadesforLearning.com from August 29 through the campaign's end on September 30. If reached, the achievement would trigger an additional $100,000 to fund teachers' projects – and SONIC Drive-Ins would reward every voter with a free medium Cherry Limeade.

Voters breezed past that target early in the campaign and ultimately cast an amazing 4.4 million total votes for the 2011 campaign. It's further validation that SONIC customers and the general public have a passion for supporting education in their local communities. SONIC gave more than 330,000 voters a coupon for a free Cherry Limeade.

"The teachers in our communities do amazing work every day with young people and we are delighted to support their creativity and entrepreneurial spirit in bringing new learning opportunities to their students. The free Cherry Limeade for voters is the cherry on top to another tremendously successful edition of Limeades for Learning," said Danielle Vona, SONIC's chief marketing officer. "Our customers and the voting public showed they had all the incentive needed to continue voting in record numbers well past the 1.5 million vote goal."

With the third year of Limeades for Learning now in the books, voters have directed more than $2 million in SONIC Drive-In donations and helped fund 4,486 teacher projects since 2009. It all comes as education budgets continue to be slashed across the country. Through Limeades for Learning, SONIC supports public school teachers who too often pay for much-needed classroom supplies out of their own pockets, supplies like sketchbooks for Mrs. McCall's art class.

Although the Limeades for Learning voting season has come to a close, SONIC urges everyone to continue supporting DonorsChoose.org in its mission to help classrooms in need. Individuals can still log on to LimeadesforLearning.com and search for their favorite teachers' projects. Once found, they can click on the "Donate" button to make a contribution at any time throughout the year.

About SONIC Drive-In

SONIC®, America's Drive-In® (NASDAQ/NM: SONC) started as a hamburger and root beer stand in 1953 in Shawnee, Okla., called Top Hat Drive-In, and then changed its name to SONIC in 1959. The first drive-in to adopt the SONIC name is still serving customers in Stillwater, Okla. As the nation's largest chain of drive-in restaurants, SONIC has more than 3,500 drive-ins in 43 states coast to coast. Approximately 3 million customers eat at SONIC every day; and with more drink combinations than any other quick-service restaurant – 398,929 – SONIC is Your Ultimate Drink Stop®. For more information about Sonic Corp. and its subsidiaries, visit SONIC at SonicDriveIn.com. Through Limeades for Learning®, SONIC and its franchise partners have donated more than $1.3 million to public school classrooms in local communities across the country. Visit www.LimeadesforLearning.com to learn more about SONIC's commitment to education.

About DonorsChoose.org

Founded in 2000, DonorsChoose.org (www.donorschoose.org) is a nonprofit website where public school teachers describe specific educational projects for their students, and donors can choose the projects they want to support. To date, almost 186,000 public and charter school teachers have used the site to secure funding for $86 million in books, art supplies, technology, and other resources that have supported 5 million students.

FOR INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Sarah Ferguson
816.423.6061
[email protected]

SOURCE SONIC Drive-In