The IHFA has pledged a minimum of $15,000 to the IHFA Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund, an amount which could increase depending on the participation and generosity of member franchisees, IHFA vendors, and others, according to a press release.

Proceeds from this fund will be used solely to help individual Hardee’s franchisee employees meet basic needs, whether for housing, food or other
essentials, said Lee Staak, IHFA president.

Hardee’s franchisees operate 185 restaurants in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Don Wollan, a franchisee who operates in Alabama, reports that at least 50 of his employees and managers have lost their homes in that state alone.

Proceeds from the IHFA fund will not be used to rebuild or repair damaged Hardee’s restaurants themselves, Staak pointed out. “The personal needs of these employees throughout the devastated region is what this is all about,” he said. The IHFA has pledged that it will allocate $50 toward the relief fund for every franchisee and vendor who attends the upcoming IHFA Convention in Louisville, Kentucky. If pledges received exceed the $15,000 contribution approved today, then the extra money collected will go into the fund, the IHFA said.

“It’s very important that we take this step to show our colleagues how important they are in the Hardee’s franchisee family and that we recognize how difficult it is for them to meet even the basic needs right now. I strongly encourage my fellow franchisees to donate to the IHFA Relief Fund, and to attend the IHFA convention,” said Staak, a franchisee in Iowa.

Those who wish to contribute should make checks payable to the “IHFA Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund” and mail checks to the IHFA offices at 184
Business Park Drive, Suite 200-H, Virginia Beach, Va. 23462.

The IHFA is a member association that represents some 95 percent of all Hardee’s franchised restaurants in the United States that produce more
than $1 billion in annual sales. For more information, go to www.ihfa.com