SHANGHAI, June 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Micky Pant, CEO of Yum China Holdings, Inc. ("Yum China") (NYSE: YUMC), today visited the Ye Yi Li Gan Elementary School in Xinjiang to officially launch the company's flagship CSR initiative, the 'One Yuan Donation' program which will run in all KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and East Dawning restaurants across China from 8 July through 23 July, 2017.
Micky Pant, Yum China CEO, with students from Ye Yi Li Gan Elementary School in Xinjiang
Together with representatives of the China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation (CFPA) and the Party Secretary of Akto County, Mr. Pant met students from the school and distributed nutritional meals to them before unveiling the new 'Love Kitchen' that will enable the elementary school to provide regular and nutritional meals for all of its students.
Founded in 2008 in partnership with the CFPA, the One Yuan Donation program invites customers and employees to donate a single yuan to enrich the diets of children in impoverished regions across China. With over 7,600 restaurants, Yum China has a network of fundraising locations across the country which, together with mobile and online donation channels, provides a platform to harness the power of giving through scale.
"I am thrilled to come to the Ye Yi Li Gan Elementary School to personally serve meals that have been made possible by the One Yuan Donation program," said Mr. Pant. "This year marks the 10th year of the program and we are honored to provide a platform for customers and employees to contribute and improve the lives of hundreds of thousands of school children in impoverished regions throughout China."
"While one yuan may seem like a small gesture, collectively it makes an incredible difference and gives children the opportunity for a brighter, healthier future. During the course of 2016, over RMB22.5 million was raised through the campaign, and this extraordinary effort enables us to not only deliver meals, but to provide much needed kitchen equipment to schools across the country."
Since launching the program in 2008, the One Yuan Donation initiative has received more than 100 million donations and become one of the largest public donation campaigns in China. It has raised RMB150 million, provided over 30 million nutritional meals and funded 750 'Love Kitchens', benefiting more than 400,000 children across 8 provinces in China.
Xingzui Wang, Executive Vice President of CFPA, said, "Through Yum China's long term commitment and contribution, the One Yuan Donation program has had a profound impact on the lives of hundreds of thousands of school children in China. We are proud to partner with Yum China to bring better nutrition to Chinese students."
At the event, Mr. Wang presented Yum China with the CFPA award for "Best Strategic Partner" for its longstanding partnership and contribution to poverty alleviation.
From nutritional food to nutritional education
Beyond serving nutritional meals for students, this year the One Yuan Donation program will focus more resources on education to ensure that young people have a better understanding of the value of a nutritious diet and the benefits it has on health and well-being. Booklets explaining the fundamental elements of a healthy diet will be distributed to students in schools throughout the country, which will act as reference materials for them both at school and at home.
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About Yum China Holdings, Inc.
Yum China Holdings, Inc. is a licensee of Yum! Brands in mainland China. It has exclusive rights in mainland China to KFC, China's leading quick-service restaurant brand, Pizza Hut, the leading casual dining restaurant brand in China, and Taco Bell, which opened its first restaurant in China at the end of 2016. Yum China also owns the Little Sheep and East Dawning concepts outright. Yum China is well positioned for growth thanks to its strong competitive position, integration of its brands into Chinese popular culture and consumers' daily lives, expanding geographic footprint in China and existing operational expertise. It has a strong capital position, no external debt and expects to continue growing its system sales and profit by adding new restaurants and through growing same-store sales. Yum China had more than 7,600 restaurants and more than 420,000 employees in over 1,100 cities at the end of February 2017. A new generation of younger consumers who are digitally sophisticated and brand driven are fueling growth in consumption in China. The ongoing growth of the middle class and urban population in China is expected to create the world's largest market for restaurant brands, with Yum China poised to be the market leader.
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