North Carolina Panera Bread bakery-cafes honor breast cancer awareness month with Pink Ribbon Bagel

Panera Bread is launching its Pink Ribbon Bagel campaign in participating central and western North Carolina bakery-cafes beginning Oct. 1. All month long, a portion of the proceeds from Pink Ribbon Bagel sales at bakery-cafes in Winston-Salem, Greensboro, High Point, Kernersville, Burlington, Clemmons, Boone, Hickory, Mooresville and Salisbury will be donated to Earlier.org — Friends for an Earlier Breast Cancer Test.  A special “100 Percent Day” will be hosted on Oct. 6, during which 100 percent of the proceeds from each bagel sold will benefit the cause.

Covelli Enterprises, Ohio-based franchisee of Panera Bread, took ownership of the North Carolina franchise cafes in May of this year. Covelli has been executing this annual campaign in its markets for nearly a decade and has donated more than $3 million to the fight against breast cancer since 2010.

“We are thrilled to launch this amazing campaign in North Carolina. We make it a priority every year for a reason,” said Sam Covelli, owner/operator of Covelli Enterprises. “The funds raised by the Pink Ribbon Bagel are helping to save the lives of local women with breast cancer. There’s no better feeling than knowing you can help make a difference.”

Panera Bread is encouraging customers to take a photo with their Pink Ribbon Bagels to share their support for the cause on social media using #morethandough. The cafes are accepting pre-orders for bagels at www.covelli.com/gopink.

“The commitment, involvement, understanding and total embrace of our mission by Panera Bread is remarkable,” says Earlier.org founder Martha Kaley. “­­­­The coming together of donations from the Pink Ribbon Bagel campaign and beyond, piece by piece, builds to absolutely fund critical research grants for identifying a biological test to detect breast cancer earlier. It is our goal to protect these precious funds and direct them to the appropriate research to help all of us.”

Shaped in the form of the iconic pink ribbon, the Pink Ribbon Bagel features cherry chips, dried cherries and cranberries, vanilla, honey and brown sugar.

Beautiful Dentistry tries to raise 2,000 pounds of canned food to combat holiday season hunger

SALISBURY — Dr. Hetal Amin-Patel, Dr. David J. Mayberry, Dr. Mitch Siegel and the staff from Beautiful Dentistry have announced a canned food drive to support the efforts of Rowan Helping Ministries. 

The drive will run from Nov. 1 through Dec. 15. Beautiful Dentistry has set a goal of raising 2,000 pounds of canned food.

Anyone wishing to make a donation can come by during normal business hours to drop off their food. Business hours are Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.