Apple Gold Group Launches Fundraiser for The V Foundation for Cancer Research
Fundraiser at NC Applebee’s Restaurants Aims to Raise $150,000

Raleigh, N.C., [DATE]— The Apple Gold Group, franchisee of Applebee’s restaurants in North Carolina, Oklahoma and Arkansas, proudly announces the launch of its second annual March fundraiser in support of The V Foundation for Cancer Research.   The event will run from March 1 through April 6 and is held in conjunction with The Foundation’s annual Show Your Spirit!® campaign during the National Collegiate Basketball Tournaments.   The Apple Gold Group’s goal is to raise over $150,000 for cancer research.

Guests who dine at any of the 51 Apple Gold Group Applebee’s locations in North Carolina will be invited to donate $1 or more to The V Foundation for Cancer Research.   For each $1 donated, guests will be given a paper basketball to personalize and then hang in the restaurant.   In the spirit of the tournament season, guests may choose from several different basketball styles representing UNC, NC State, Duke, Wake Forest, ECU and Davidson.   There will also be a special pink basketball available in honor of the late Kay Yow, whose Yow/WCBA Cancer Foundation is an affiliated initiative of The V Foundation.  

“We are proud to have chosen The V Foundation as our organization’s ‘charity of choice’ and excited to support its notable efforts in cancer research,” said Michael Olander, President and CEO of Apple Gold Group.  “Applebee’s continuously strives to be an active member in the community, and our fundraiser for The V Foundation offers an excellent opportunity for us to do this while offering our guests something extra to enjoy during their visit.”

The “Show Your Spirit” event is a two-day campaign for The V Foundation for Cancer Research, held annually on the first two days of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.  The 2008 “Show Your Spirit” event had 303 companies in 37 states and the District of Columbia participating in raising both money and awareness for cancer research.  These efforts raised a quarter of a million dollars toward fighting for a cure.

“It’s very encouraging to see the spirit of The V Foundation carried out by Apple Gold Group in their Applebee’s restaurants,” said Nick Valvano, CEO of The V Foundation for Cancer Research.  “In the fight against cancer, we all play on the same team.”

About Apple Gold Group
Apple Gold, Inc., one of the original five Applebee’s Franchisees, was founded in 1984 to develop and operate Applebee's restaurants in North Carolina, opening its first Neighborhood Grill and Bar in Cary, North Carolina in 1985.   A decade later, the company expanded its territory to include Oklahoma and then Arkansas, and currently operates 72 restaurants in those  three states.   The Apple Gold Group strives to be a recognized leader in both the casual dining industry and in local charitable fundraising.   For more information on Apple Gold Group, please visit www.AppleGoldCareers.com

About The V Foundation for Cancer Research
The V Foundation for Cancer Research was founded in 1993 by ESPN and the late Jim Valvano, legendary North Carolina State basketball coach and ESPN commentator.  Since 1993, The Foundation has raised more than $70 million to fund cancer research grants nationwide.  It awards 100 percent of all new direct cash donations and net proceeds of events directly to cancer research and related programs.  The Foundation, which has received five consecutive top 4-star ratings from Charity Navigator, awards grants through a competitive awards process strictly supervised by a Scientific Review Committee.  For more information on The V Foundation or to make a donation, please visit www.jimmyv.org.