Topper's Pizza Selects SickKids Foundation as Corporate Charity

BARRIE, ON, April 25, 2012 (Press-News.org) Topper's Pizza is pleased to announce that it has teamed up with SickKids Foundation in support of children's health. The newly established partnership falls under the company's corporate social responsibility program, said Keith Toppazzini, president and chief operating officer of Topper's Franchise Company Inc., owner of the Topper's Pizza brand.

"We're proud to select SickKids Foundation as our corporate charity," said Toppazzini, noting that SickKids helped more than 100,000 Ontario-based patients in 2010 alone. "As a family-run business with strong family values, it makes perfect sense to support a charitable organization that does so much for so many families across our province, Canada and around the world."

"Topper's Pizza has a wonderful, loyal following of families as customers and we're looking forward to having them on board as one of our newest corporate partners to help promote awareness about children's health, as well as to provide us with another way to raise critical funds" said Adrian Horwood, vice-president, Corporate Partnerships, SickKids Foundation.

The partnership with SickKids Foundation will take on several forms, including in-store donations, special promotions and corporate matching. Funds raised through year-long in-store donations will be directed towards AboutKidsHealth (www.aboutkidshealth.ca), a world-leading family education resource that delivers trusted, medically proven health content for paediatric patients and their families across Canada. Special, one-time-only campaigns will support the Foundation's Possibilities Fund which supports the highest priority needs at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto, such as training doctors, providing ground-breaking technology and investing in ongoing research.

"By partnering with SickKids, we are making a considerable commitment to support children's health and we couldn't be happier to do it," said Kelly Toppazzini, chairman and CEO of Topper's, noting that the partnership is also a good fit with the company's widespread school pizza program, which is 100 per cent nutritionally compliant with the Nutrition Standards for Ontario Schools.

ABOUT TOPPER'S PIZZA FRANCHISE COMPANY

Topper's Pizza is a Foodservice and Hospitality Top 100 Company that has won numerous community awards for its quality product. Founded in 1982 by Ron Toppazzini, nearly 60 years after the original Toppazzini Bakery first opened in Sudbury, Topper's Pizza has grown from a successful family-run business to an Ontario-wide chain of 35 stores. The company relocated its head office to Barrie from Collingwood earlier this year. For a complete list of Topper's locations, visit http://www.toppers.ca.

ABOUT SICKKIDS FOUNDATION

Established in 1972, SickKids Foundation raises funds on behalf of The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and is the largest charitable funder of child health research, learning and care in Canada. Philanthropy is a critical source of funding for SickKids -- one of the world's foremost paediatric health-care institutions. For the fiscal year ending March 31, 2011, SickKids Foundation made an investment of $61.9 million in children's health, a direct result of community and corporate support. For more information, please visit http://www.sickkidsfoundation.com.

Media Contact: Mark Wessel Bullpen PR (705) 445-2733 mwessel@bullpenpr.com