World Famous Pralines candy company pledges 100,000 meals for the nation’s largest hunger relief organization
What do Ghost Pirates, Pete the Cat and Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia have in common?
They all love pralines – and helping others. That’s why they’ll be celebrating National Pralines Day with River Street Sweets.
For the eighth year in a row, River Street Sweets will donate 10 percent of all in-store and online praline sales to Feeding America’s Kids Café initiative from June 21st through June 24th. Feeding America is the largest charity in the United States working to end hunger. The Kids Café program, which locally falls under Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia, provides afterschool meals, tutoring and a safe place for at-risk children. During the summer, when it can be particularly difficult for some children to have access to food, the program continues.
River Street Sweets has been donating meals to Kids Café since 2016. This year, proceeds from praline sales will be collected from each retail location and from online purchases at RiverStreetSweets.com. Cash donations are being accepted now through the end of July. Guests can also round up their purchases in-store and online to donate directly to Kids Café.
“We love making pralines, and we very much appreciate that our guests love eating them,” said Jennifer Strickland, co-owner of River Street Sweets. “We also know that not everyone has access to basic food or simple nutrition, especially during the summer when school is out. Because giving back is a priority for us, continuing to help Second Harvest and the Kids Café is the natural thing to do.”
This year’s celebration will be held on Friday, June 21st from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the River Street Sweets Store on Broughton Street. Those expected to attend include the Ghost Pirates with mascot Davy; chef and author Rebekah Faulk Lingenfelser who will sign copies of her latest book Unique Eats and Eateries of Savannah; and representatives from Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia and the Savannah Chamber of Commerce. Mystery guest praline scoopers will also be there to help owners Jennifer and Tim Strickland hand-dip the treats.
Pete the Cat will be making an appearance – in tee-shirt form. Artist James Dean, author of the famous Pete the Cat children’s books, created the design on many of the River Street Sweets candy boxes. In addition, when River Street Sweets celebrated its 50th anniversary last year, Dean created a commemorative design of Pete the Cat celebrating. All profits from the shirts will be donated to Kids Café. Shirts are on sale now in select stores and online while supplies last.
“As leaders in the hospitality business, giving back isn’t an option, but a priority,” Strickland added. “To have the community join us in this endeavor makes everything that much sweeter.”
To date, River Street Sweets has donated more than 238,000 meals to Kids Café. Last year’s efforts brought in approximately $14,551, which equates to about 72,755 meals. This year, the goal is 100,000 meals.
Now a nationwide success story, Kids Café started in Savannah in 1989 after two small, hungry boys were caught breaking into a community center in search of food. Some local residents read about what happened in The Savannah Morning News newspaper, got together and started donating food. The initiative exploded in popularity over the years, and in 1993, it was adopted by Feeding America.
For more information on National Pralines Day visit RiverStreetSweets.com.
River Street Sweets has been creating sweet memories since 1973, when it opened its flagship location on historic River Street. Over 50 years later, River Street Sweets locations can be found in Charleston and Myrtle Beach, SC, Sarasota, FL and additional locations in Savannah, on Habersham and Broughton Street. In 2015, the first franchise location opened in Pooler, followed by locations in Key West, Fla. and Lancaster, Pa. A location in Greenville, S.C. opened in 2019, and in 2020, locations were added at The Battery in Atlanta, Ga. and Asbury Park, N.J. In 2021, a location was opened in Sunset Walk in Orlando, Fla., and one in Sarasota, FL in 2022. Named the “Second Best Candy Franchise in the Country” by Entrepreneur.com, River Street Sweets has grown exponentially with additional franchise locations on the horizon across the Southeast. For more information, visit RiverStreetSweets.com and RiverStreetSweetsFranchises.com.
