McDonald’s to Donate a Portion of Sales to Provide School Supplies to Local Under-Resourced Schools

The owner/operators of the 225 McDonald’s® Minnesota Co-Op
restaurants in Minnesota, western Wisconsin, and Ironwood, Michigan are partnering for the first time
with Kids in Need Foundation (KINF), a national nonprofit organization based in Roseville, Minnesota, to
provide school supplies to thousands of local students and teachers in under-resourced schools.
The Fries for Supplies initiative will run Monday-Friday, July 25-29, at all participating local co-op
McDonald’s restaurants. For every a la carte order of McDonald’s World Famous Fries® during that time
frame, McDonald’s local owner/operators will donate 10% of the sales to KINF. All funds raised will
support 10,000 local under-resourced students with essential school supplies when they return to school
this fall. Supplies will be distributed to schools in communities across the co-op including–but not
limited to–Brooklyn Park, Duluth, Hibbing, Mankato, Minneapolis, Rochester, St. Cloud, St. Paul and
western Wisconsin.
“We ask that our customers support us as we empower teachers and students in underserved schools
through essential school supplies, allowing the classroom focus to remain on learning, not on the

resources that they do not have,” said Melissa Kennedy, McDonald’s owner/operator and Minnesota Co-
Op President.

In Minnesota and Wisconsin alone, there are more than 1,300 schools with a student enrollment of 50%
or more receiving free and reduced meals through the National School Lunch Program. In 2021, through
its programs and National Network of Resource Centers, KINF served over 7.8 million students and
316,900 teachers through 13,808 under-resourced schools and nonprofit organizations.
“For students living in low-income communities, school supplies are not a basic need; they are a luxury
that many families cannot afford,” said Suzanne Werdann, KINF Chief Brand Officer. “We’re grateful to
our local McDonald’s owner/operators for recognizing this need and collaborating to provide the support
and tools needed for teachers to teach, and learners to learn.”

Kids In Need Foundation (KINF), a nonprofit organization that believes every child in America deserves
equal opportunity and access to a quality education, provides the support and tools needed for teachers
to teach and learners to learn. By providing essential school supplies, distance learning resources, and
other classroom items in high demand, KINF partners with teachers in underserved schools to ensure
students are prepared to learn in the classroom. In 2021, through its programs and National Network of
Resource Centers, comprised of more than 40 mission-driven organizations nationwide, KINF served
over 7.8 million students and 316,900 teachers through 13,808 under-resourced schools and nonprofit
organizations. More than $162 million was distributed in free supplies and classroom resources
nationwide at no cost to schools or teachers. For more information, visit KINF.org, and join us on
Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter: @KidsInNeed.

The McDonald’s Minnesota Co-Op consists of 225 independently owned and operated restaurants in
Minnesota, western Wisconsin and Ironwood, Michigan. In 2020, the McDonald’s System purchased
$183.3 million of products from Minnesota, and McDonald’s suppliers employed 955 people. (Sourcing
strategies may change lines of supply over time. Therefore, current purchases from states are not a
commitment to purchase beyond the current calendar year. Report includes agricultural purchases for
use by McDonald’s domestic and international restaurants as reported by McDonald’s suppliers). Visit
our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/mcdMNWis and on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/mcdonaldsmnwesternwi/

Kids in Need Foundation CEO Corey Gordon joined Randy Clausen on the Home Grown Morning Show on Wednesday to discuss the initiative.