Panera Bread presents $24,000 check to Dayton Children’s Hospital autism diagnostic center

Ohio based Covelli Enterprises, largest franchisee of Panera Bread, presented a $24,000 donation to Dayton Children’s Hospital autism diagnostic center Thursday, May 28th. The funds were raised during Panera Bread’s Pieces of Hope for Autism Campaign. 100% of the proceeds from all puzzle piece cookies sold during the campaign were donated to Dayton Children’s Hospital autism diagnostic center. The donation will be used to help fund programs that will provide timely diagnostic assessment for families who are concerned about their child having autism as well ongoing education and support to primary care physicians to assist them in the identification and management of children with autism.

More than 16,000 cookies were sold in honor of National Autism Awareness month in the Dayton, Ohio, Panera Bread bakery-cafes. Panera Bread hosted their first “Pieces of Hope for Autism” campaign from April 13^th through April 19th in all 11 Dayton, Ohio, locations.

“Our Panera Bread family is thrilled to be able to support the Dayton Children’s Hospital autism diagnostic center,” said Sam Covelli, Owner/Operator of Covelli Enterprises. “This was our first campaign in the Dayton market and I am truly overwhelmed by the amount of support our café staff and community members have shown. That is what we strive to do at Panera Bread and Covelli Enterprises, make a positive difference in the community through our products and bakery-cafes. We look forward to our future in the Dayton community.”

“The new autism diagnostic center will meet a growing need for timely and appropriate diagnosis, treatment and service provision for autism and other developmental issues,” says Craig Boreman, MD, medical director of the autism diagnostic center. “We were so happy to be able to partner with Panera Bread on these cookie sales to help provide these important services to families in our community.”

In total, Covelli Enterprises and Panera Bread has donated more than half a million dollars to various autism organizations in all of their franchise territories.

Throughout the months of March, April and May, the Dayton Children’s Hospital autism diagnostic center was also the Operation Dough-Nation partner in the 11 Dayton, Ohio, area bakery-cafes. All of the money collected in the canisters from all cafes will be donated to the Dayton Children’s Hospital autism diagnostic center.

About Covelli Enterprises and Panera Bread

Covelli Enterprises operates more than 260 Panera Bread bakery-cafés in Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Kentucky, Florida and Ontario, Canada. Headquartered in Warren, Ohio, Covelli Enterprises is the nation's largest franchisee of Panera, LLC. Covelli Enterprises donated over $23 million to charity in 2014 through food and monetary donations to local food banks and non-profit organizations. To learn more about Covelli Enterprises, visit www.covelli.com.

For more information, contact:

Stacy Porter

Communications specialist

Phone: 937-641-3666

newsroom@childrensdayton.org