Raising Cane's Raises Cash For The YMCA Of Austin

AUSTIN, TX — The Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers restaurant was busy raising cash, donating more than $8,000 to the YMCA of Austin to support the nonprofit organization’s child care programs, officials announced Friday.

In the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, Raising Cane’s launched a nationwide neck-gaiter sales campaign with proceeds to benefit healthcare and other essential workers like those at the Y, officials added.

“At Raising Cane’s, we are always looking for ways to support our community, and the neck-gaiter campaign has proven a great way to help our local nonprofits and healthcare organizations,” Austin Leader of Restaurants Michael O’Grady said in a prepared statement. “We are honored to have the opportunity to show our appreciation to the Y for taking care of our children so parents can earn a living.”

As schools head back into session, the Y is providing full-day care at more than a dozen locations across metro Austin with support for virtual learning and social distancing and enhanced safety precautions, officials said.

“We’ve been running in-person child care for essential workers as well as summer camps for the past five months, and we’ve learned how to keep kids safe through social distancing and safety protocols while giving them a fun, enriching experience,” Dr. Joan Altobelli, vice president of Licensed Child Care Services for the YMCA of Austin, said in a prepared statement. More information is available at the Austin YMCA website.

Altobelli says the funds donated by Raising Canes’ will help provide financial assistance to families in need. In 2019, the YMCA of Austin provided more than $2.5 million in financial assistance to more than 35,000 men, women and children in our community, officials noted.

In addition to the neck-gaiter campaign, the popular brand known for its “ONE LOVE – quality chicken finger meals,” is actively supporting local organizations across the nation with food donations. To learn more about the extra precautions that Raising Cane’s is taking to deliver the safest experience possible for its Crew and Customers, visit the Raising Cane's portal detailing its COVID-19 response.

About the YMCA of Austin

The Y is one of the nation’s leading nonprofits strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. Anchored in more than 10,000 communities, the Y has the long-standing relationships and physical presence not just to promise, but to deliver, lasting personal and social change. The YMCA of Austin serves more than 100,000 members and an additional 30,000 program participants annually through nine branches in Travis, Hays and Bastrop Counties. We also provide afterschool child care at more than 100 licensed sites in four school districts as well as at four YMCA Learning Centers in affordable housing developments. More information is available at www.austinymca.org.