My Love of Donuts

Earlier this week I had the opportunity to meet all the General Managers of Krispy Kreme at their annual leadership meeting in Charlotte.  This was an honor to be able to personally thank them for all their love and support for Victory Junction.  Together, Krispy Kreme has raised almost $400,000 in three years to send children to Victory Junction Camp.

Mrs. International, Janet Bolin, and Steve Graves, Vice President of Retail Operations

Victory Junction Camp in Randleman, North Carolina was built in honor of Adam Petty, and provides life-changing experiences for kids with chronic medical conditions or serious illiness.  The cost for one child to attend camp is $2,500 but through the generosity of many sponsors, like Krispy Kreme, children don’t pay a dime.  Victory Junction is one of the over 150 charities whom The NASCAR Foundation helps raise funds, annually.

The annual fundraising effort of Krispy Kreme is their “Drive for 45” program which runs 45 days, starting April 5th with the goal of raising enough money to send at least 45 children to camp.  Each general manager rallies their staff, empowering them to share the stories of all the children who’ve benefitted from the camp and in turn rallying the Krispy Kreme customers to help support future children so they too can have that same experience. 

Kyle Petty and Krispy Kreme CEO, Jim Morgan, and I all were able to talk with the group and share our appreciation for their efforts.  I shared with them that you would find “donut lover” on my list of fun facts about Mrs. International and that my husband likes to call me the “Krispy Kreme Queen.”   While they call the camp experience “life-changing” I add to that by stating it is also “life-saving” in that the children who attend camp will always have the love of their family, but gain the admiration and support from the peers whom they meet, peers who are dealing with the same physical or medical challenges.  They ‘get them’ on a different level. 

I also had a chance to curb some myths about “beauty queens” in that I’ll roll up my sleeves to help - with the crown – because I am not just a smile and wave.  So, as they look to put the final touches on the Drive for 45 fundraiser for 2012, I look forward to helping do whatever I can to raise awareness of this fundraising drive. 

Be on the lookout for additional information on how you can join me and Krispy Kreme raise funds to send children to Victory Junction Camp. To learn more, I invite you to visit www.krispykreme.com or www.victoryjunction.org. 

Janet Bolin

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