MEMBER NEWS
Frequent Guests at Indianapolis Buffalo Wild Wings Turn Reward Points Into Meals for the Homeless
Bob and Laura Dugan donated food purchased with over 200,000 Blazin’ Rewards points to a local homeless shelter, Wheeler Mission, in Indianapolis.
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ob and Laura Dugan have been regular guests at Buffalo Wild Wings® in Indianapolis, Indiana, for the past few years. The couple loves to relax, watch sports and eat wings several times a week. Over two years, the couple collected more than 200,000 Blazin’ Rewards points, which can be used on food and merchandise, and came up with the idea to donate the points during 2020. “It was right when the pandemic hit, and the shutdown started and doors closed, and we said, ‘We’ve got to do something,’” Bob said. “‘We’ve got to make people happy and do something good for the community.’” So, the Dugans did just that – they worked with franchisee World Wide Wings and a local homeless shelter, Wheeler Mission, to get meals to those who needed them the most. As soon as it was safe for the shelter to distribute group meals again,
the lunch plans were set. Wheeler Mission is a nondenominational, Christian, social services organization that provides critically needed goods and services to the homeless in Indiana. The Dugans used their collection of rewards points to buy lunches for residents, who roared with applause when they heard the menu for that day. “To be honest with you, I was kind of shocked,” one resident told a local news reporter. “Being that we’re in a homeless shelter, people look down on us because we’re homeless. As long as we get people from outside showing that they care about us, it tells us something different.” The couple was happy to make the donation and encourages others to follow suit. “We encourage people to give back whenever,” said Laura Dugan. “Even if it’s just purchasing a gift card or buying the person behind you lunch.” S
LaHaise Management LLC Gives Back to Local First Responders With Gift Card Donation
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2021 Issue 2 |
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aHaise Management LLC, owned by Todd and Susan LaHaise, operates 12 BWW® restaurants across South Dakota, North Dakota and Minnesota. When the duo opened their first restaurant back in 2000, they knew being involved in community initiatives would be a priority. Over the years, LaHaise Management has shown support in various ways to its communities across the Midwest, but the company’s most recent efforts benefitted first responders and high school graduates. The group ran a first responder gift card program during May 2020, when for every $25 gift card purchased, Buffalo Wild Wings® gave guests an extra $5 gift card. In addition, the restaurant also donated an additional $5 toward buying meals for local first responders. In total, the company has donated $40,000 in meals across its 12 sports bars as a thank you to first responders for their efforts. The LaHaises also donated over $100,000 in BWW gift cards to graduating high school seniors whose ceremonies were cancelled or postponed in 2020. “This franchise was built on a community-involved foundation. Todd and Susan have continually given back to every
Franchisee Todd LaHaise operates 12 sports bars across the Midwest with his wife, Susan.
community for over 20 years,” Director of Operations Jeremy Lembke told Inspire Stories. “Through good times and bad, we will always be dedicated and support those that ultimately support us.” S
