Burger King was named title sponsor for HopeFest, an annual event benefiting HavenHouse St. Louis. Burger King's sponsorship, which comes by way of Liberty Restaurant Group, the local franchisee that owns and operates 23 locations, represents the single largest sponsorship commitment in the history of the event. HopeFest will take place on February 19 at 6 p.m. at the Crowne Plaza in Clayton, Missouri. Each year, this sell-out, 350-guest dinner is planned by committee members of HavenHouse St. Louis and includes a live auction with local celebrity auctioneer J. Kim Tucci of the Pasta House Co., dinner, luxury opportunity raffle packages, and a chance to "Experience Hope in Action," which is the theme of this years' fundraising campaign.

Last year's fundraiser raised net proceeds of nearly $80,000. The Burger King sponsorship also includes the development of HavenHouse's new interactive website.

"Burger King is a strong addition to our program," says Kathy Sindel, executive director of HavenHouse St. Louis. "With locations and market penetration throughout St. Louis and even Illinois, we feel that Burger King will bring a heightened awareness of our cause."

"We've had a tremendous experience building HopeFest and are thrilled to see such a great sponsor, such as Burger King, come on board," says Lindsey Gibson, director of community development for HavenHouse St. Louis.

"We know from this event HavenHouse will not only provide an incredible boost to the families they serve, but it will also provide an opportunity to create a positive impression on the rest of St. Louis as they 'Experience Hope in Action' firsthand. We believe that we will encourage other sponsors to step up which is vitally important," says Kelly Hasty, Liberty Restaurant Group spokesperson.