Qdoba Opens Online 'Qmmunity'

Qdoba Mexican Grill announced its new online campaign called Qmmunity, through which it hopes to recognize individual communities’ “shining stars,” while at the same time shining a light on its own national charity partner, Starlight Children’s Foundation. Through an online nomination and voting process, one Qmmunity star will be chosen to receive a grand prize: a $5,000 donation to the charity of their choice and a Starlight Fun Center mobile entertainment unit donated to a hospital on Starlight’s wait list in or near the winner’s city of residence.

The launch of Qmmunity marks Qdoba’s first national campaign with Starlight Children’s Foundation. In 2008, Qdoba selected Starlight as the company’s national charity partner. Starlight is an international charity dedicated to helping seriously ill children and their families cope with their pain, fear, and isolation through entertainment, education, and family activities. As part of the Qmmunity campaign, Qdoba will donate $1 to Starlight (up to $25,000) for every action visitors take on the Qmmunity site, including submitting a nomination, voting for a nominee, Tweeting about a nominee, posting about the program on Facebook, and making a public pledge.

Visitors to Qdoba’s Qmmunity Web site are asked to nominate someone who is making a difference in their community by briefly sharing what makes that person a shining star: their story, cause, and effect on their charity of choice and their community. Community stars supporting any 501(c)3 registered charities are eligible for entry. Once submitted, visitors are encouraged to campaign online and encourage others to vote for their favorite nominee using viral tools available through the site such as e-mail, Facebook, and Twitter. At the end of the nomination and voting period at midnight on November 1, the five nominees with the most votes will become eligible to compete for the grand prize.

“We are thrilled to launch Qdoba’s Qmmunity to not only help raise money to support Starlight’s efforts in brightening the lives of seriously ill children, but also to honor all the everyday stars who work tirelessly with other charities to improve their own communities,” says Gary Beisler, president and CEO of Qdoba Mexican Grill. “Since we opened our first restaurant in 1995, our team members have demonstrated a passion for giving back to guests and to the communities in which Qdoba operates. Working together with our employees, Starlight, our guests, and their communities, we hope that Qmmunity will ultimately help brighten the lives of people throughout the country.”

From funding Starlight Fun Centers (mobile entertainment units for hospitalized children that include a Wii system by Nintendo, a Sharp AQUOS LCD TV, and a DVD player) and hosting community events to donating food, money, and volunteering hundreds of hours in cities across the country, Qdoba has committed itself to supporting Starlight as part of its vision to support youth and family initiatives within communities. Since 2008 Qdoba has donated more than $60,000 in food, coupons and special offers, Fun Centers, and funds as well as hundreds of volunteer hours to Starlight programs across the country in locations including Denver; Chicago; Los Angeles; Seattle; Omaha, Nebraska; Washington, D.C.; and Portland, Oregon, to name a few. Qdoba has also sponsored Starlight Fun Centers for placement in hospitals in St. Louis; Denver; Boston; and Dillon, Colorado, and will soon be sponsoring a Fun Center for placement in the Atlanta area.

“We are very excited to be part of the launch of Qmmunity,” says Starlight’s CEO Paula Van Ness. “While it is another way that Qdoba helps us help sick children and their families, it will also spark a passion to give back when people read about the everyday stars of their neighborhoods. The community benefits will be extraordinary.”