The company donated 100 percent of profits raised from sales of Playmate Coolers directly to the CDC Foundation and Restaurant Employee Relief Fund
Katy, TX, July 14, 2020 – With the help of its community and partners in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic, Igloo is proud to share its total donation to the CDC Foundation and Restaurant Employee Relief Fund has reached $299,794 through the sale of Playmate coolers. Igloo has awarded all funds directly to the organizations for immediate use in relief efforts.
“Our immense gratitude goes out to our Igloo community of loyal customers and valued partners who rallied together to make this initiative an overwhelming success,” said Dave Allen, President and CEO, Igloo Products Corp. “With almost $300,000 donated to the CDC Foundation and Restaurant Employee Relief Fund, these two organizations have been able to provide absolutely critical PPE to frontline workers who are risking their lives every day, along with direct payments to impacted restaurant employees whose financial futures are at stake. At Igloo, we’re proud to stand with all the people working hard to make a positive difference during these uncertain, ever-changing times.”
From March 19 through April 18, Igloo pledged to donate 100% of profits from the sales of Playmate coolers on Igloocoolers.com in the fight against COVID-19. As the Igloo community of customers and partners joined in to contribute, the initiative grew to unexpected levels with $100,000 raised and donated within 30 days. In response to the success, Igloo extended its original timeline to May 1 during which time another $103,794 was raised and donated. Again, Igloo extended the initiative to include donations from in-store sales, bringing the overall donation total to almost $300,000.
Igloo’s donation to the CDC Foundation has helped secure and deliver personal protective equipment (PPE) to the New Jersey and Houston Departments of Health. Additionally, funds raised by sales of a special-edition Igloo Playmate cooler endorsed by celebrity chef Guy Fieri have been donated to the Restaurant Employee Relief Fund, a financial assistance program for restaurant employees impacted by the pandemic.
The CDC Foundation is a catalyst of unleashing the power of collaboration between the CDC, philanthropies, private entities and individuals to protect the health, safety and security of America and the world.
Through the Restaurant Employee Relief Fund, impacted restaurant workers were able to apply online for a one-time, $500 check to use towards housing, transportation, utilities, child-care, groceries, medical bills and/or student loans. These grants were administered by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) and offered on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information on donating to the Restaurant Employee Relief Fund, visit RERF.us.
Igloo’s participating Playmate cooler partners during this donation initiative included: Disney, Grateful Dead, Guy Fieri, Nickelodeon, Pixar, Star Wars, Viacom, William Murray Golf and many more.
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About Igloo: Born from a modest metalworking shop back in 1947, Igloo has been instrumental in redefining how we live, work and play. What began with bringing clean water to the worksite quickly moved into super-functional, best in class ice chests. Igloo products made the family outdoor recreation movement of the 20th century possible. Suddenly, taking your kids camping on the weekend became easy and cross-country road trips became a summer vacation staple.
As we approach our next century, Igloo is 1500 employees strong. We are proud to call—a 1.8 million square-foot, three-building facility in—Katy, Texas home. With more than 500 products sold at thousands of retailers around the globe, we can confidently call ourselves the number one cooler manufacturer in the world.
And through it all we haven’t lost sight of our original goal—to create products that enable the pursuit of happiness (however you define it). That’s why we’re still working hard every day to innovate, create, and make it easier for you to get out, work hard and play even harder.
About the CDC Foundation: The CDC Foundation helps the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) save and improve lives by unleashing the power of collaboration between CDC, philanthropies, corporations, organizations and individuals to protect the health, safety and security of America and the world. The CDC Foundation is the go-to nonprofit authorized by Congress to mobilize philanthropic partners and private-sector resources to support CDC’s critical health protection mission. Since 1995, the CDC Foundation has launched more than 1,000 programs and raised more than $900 million. The CDC Foundation managed hundreds of CDC-led programs in the United States and in more than 140 countries last year. Follow the CDC Foundation on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.
About the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF): As the philanthropic foundation of the National Restaurant Association, the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation’s mission of service to the public is dedicated to enhancing the industry’s training and education, career development and community engagement efforts. The NRAEF and its programs work to Attract, Empower and Advance today’s and tomorrow’s restaurant and foodservice workforce. NRAEF programs include:
ProStart® – a high-school career and technical education program
Restaurant Ready – partnering with community-based organizations to provide opportunity youth and justice-involved individuals with skills training and job opportunities
Military – helping military servicemen and women transition their skills to restaurant and foodservice careers
Scholarships – financial assistance for students pursuing restaurant, foodservice and hospitality degrees
Hospitality Sector Registered Apprenticeship project – a partnership with the American Hotel & Lodging Association providing a hospitality apprenticeship program for the industry
