Panda Express® Launches Panda Cares Tour Spreading Good Fortune Nationwide, Exchanging Gourmet Fortune Cookies for Suggested Donations to Support Youth Health and Education

ROSEMEAD, Calif., July 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Panda Cares Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Panda Express®, commemorates its anniversary on August 8 each year with a celebration of giving back. Leading up to the holiday this year, Panda Express will be spreading good fortune from coast to coast through the Panda Cares Tour. Kicking off today, the red truck for the Panda Cares Tour will travel to six cities across the U.S., offering delicious chocolate-covered fortune cookies, in exchange for a suggested $1.00 donation that will go towards health and education programs for underserved youth. The journey will begin in Brooklyn on July 16, travelling to Chicago, Dallas, Phoenix, Los Angeles, and eventually ending the tour in San Francisco for Panda Cares Day™ on August 8. Guests can follow along to see where the truck will stop next by visiting www.PandaCaresTour.com.

Panda Express created four special, gourmet chocolate-covered fortune cookies exclusively for the traveling tour to celebrate Panda Cares Day 2021. Every donation during the Panda Cares Tour will go directly to a local Children Miracle Network Hospital and a local Boys & Girls Club, two long time partners of Panda Cares. Since 1999, Panda Cares has raised over $247 million, with a focus on uplifting kids through the four pillars of wellness: mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual health.

"Panda Cares Day has a special place in our hearts, and now in its third year, we are bringing our first month-long celebration to our guests and our communities," said Dr. Peggy Cherng, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Panda Express. "The Panda Cares Tour is inspired by Panda Cares' purpose of bringing smiles and hope to kids everywhere. It's a fun activity that the whole family can do together, and it's a 'thank-you' to our guests and associates who have joined us in fostering the spirit of kindness and giving over the years."

Panda Cares will also be hosting fun community events starting on August 8, 2021 at 100 Boys and Girls Clubs across the nation, donating books, school materials, sports and play equipment, as well as Panda Cub Club™ activity sheets in honor of Panda Cares Day. Each of the 10,000 students will also receive a free Panda Express meal and hat as gifts.

If guests are unable to visit the Panda Cares Tour, they can still make donations directly through the PandaCaresTour.com website from July 16 through the end of the tour on August 8, or year-round at check-out at their local Panda Express store. When guests donate to Panda Cares through the Panda Cares Tour or in-store donation box, 100 percent of the funds collected support organizations that serve the health and education needs of underserved youth.  

Panda Cares is funded through the in-store donation box program and associates at Panda Express, Panda Inn, and Hibachi-San as well as Panda Restaurant Group partners and founders. The foundation provides funding and the company provides food and volunteer services to underserved youth, and disaster relief efforts. For more information about Panda Cares, please visit PandaCares.org. For media inquiries, please contact [email protected].  

About Panda Express®

On a mission to inspire better lives, Panda Express® is the largest Asian dining concept in the U.S. Family-owned and operated since 1983 by Co-Founders and Co-CEOs Andrew and Peggy Cherng, Panda Express is best known as a trailblazer for creating a wide variety of industry-first recipes, including its best seller the Original Orange Chicken® and award-winning Honey Walnut Shrimp™, which have defined the category of authentic American Chinese cuisine. Each dish at Panda Express is thoughtfully crafted with quality ingredients and inspired by bold Chinese flavors and culinary principles. The restaurant brand has more than 2,200 locations and has introduced American Chinese cuisine to twelve international countries. Powered by this global family of associates, Panda Cares®, Panda's philanthropic arm, has raised more than $247 million and dedicated countless volunteer hours in bettering the health and education for over 12 million youths, as well as supporting communities in need since 1999. In 2020, the organization established the Panda Cares Scholars Program to provide the necessary funding, academic support and leadership development to help high school and college students learn, lead and thrive towards a bright future. For more information about Panda, visit pandaexpress.com, or find us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. 

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SOURCE Panda Express