Marketing

Papa John's Shaq-a-Roni fundraiser raises more than $3M

Provided

November 12, 2021

Papa John's sold more than 3 million Shaq-a-Roni pizzas in 2021, raising more than$3 millionfor The Papa John'sFoundation for Building Community, according to a press release. The program is in its second year.

"There is nothing more important than providing a helping hand to communities in need," Shaquille O'Neal, Papa John's board member and franchise owner, said in the release. "Our nonprofit partner organizations are addressing important causes near and dear to my heart, and I am proud of the impact we can have through the funds raised from this year's Shaq-a-Roni sales."

FromAugust 16 to October 24,one dollarfrom every Shaq-a-Roni pizza sold was donated to The Papa John'sFoundation for Building Community. This year, Papa John's raised broader awareness of its charitable partners, includingBoys & Girls Clubs of America,Baltimore Hunger ProjectandUnited Negro College Fund, by integrating them into the national ad campaign.

The company also gave fans ways to get involved further through social media, by triggering an additional donation for every photo of the pizza posted with the hashtag "Shaq-a-Roni." Additionally, customers were also able to give back through the company's loyalty program, Papa Rewards, by turning rewards into a donation.

"We are grateful to have a partner like Shaq who shares our company values and believes in giving back to our communities as much as we do," Rob Lynch, president and CEO of Papa John's, said in the release. "We're so proud that for two years in a row we've been able to raise, through the generosity of our customers, millions of dollars for causes our team members and franchisees are passionate about. The success of the Shaq-a-Roni program means that the more than 100 nonprofit partners we have across the country, includingBoys & Girls Clubs of America,United Negro College FundandBaltimore Hunger Project, to name a few, will continue the work they do to build a more equitable future for all."

The Shaq-a-Roni was designed by O'Neal. It is topped with extra cheese and pepperoni and cut into Papa John's largest slice to date.