San Francisco 49ers quarterback Steve Young, part owner of a Dairy Queen franchise in Utah, congratulated fellow operators throughout Texas today for their fund raising on behalf of Children’s Miracle Network. Young has been a spokesperson for the group of 170 children’s hospitals since before he went pro in 1983.

The 700 Texas Dairy Queen locations raised more than $148,000 in the past year for 14 children’s hospitals throughout the state. Minneapolis based International Dairy Queen and its more than 5,800 quick-serve restaurant locations have collectively been a corporate sponsor of Children’s Miracle Network since 1985 and have raised more than $36 million during that time.

“Children’s Miracle Network is lucky to have such an enthusiastic and dedicated group of Diary Queen operators raising money for Texas children,” Young told a Texas DQ owners in a communication sent out during the Texas convention held there. “Like all of the 14 million children treated in Children’s Miracle Network hospitals throughout North America, the children of Texas have a special place in my heart,” he said. “The programs, equipment, educational materials, and research that you help to fund are so vital in the successful treatment of those children.”

According to Wes Howard, president of the Texas Dairy Queen Owners Association, International Dairy Queen encourages its owners and operators to support local charities because a recent internal study attributes high sales and profits to such operational practices. “Our communities make us successful, and without them we wouldn’t have a business to run,” said Howard. “The children’s hospitals affiliated with Children’s Miracle Network are at the heart of each community in which DQ does business. And the fact that all the money raised stays to help local kids makes it all the better.”