Curious what they’re putting in the soup? Here’s a hint — in addition to healthy ingredients, it’s some good old-fashioned TLC. Panera Bread Co (NASDAQ:PNRA) hasn’t been Autism Speaks’ biggest donor by any means, raising a little more than $170,000 since it first partnered with the organization in 2010. That might be a far cry from Toys R Us and its $18 million-plus in donations, but Panera Bread Co (NASDAQ:PNRA) has done an incredible job of spreading awareness through the sale of Autism awareness blue bracelets in select restaurants, and through community events designed to raise money for autism. The dollar amount may not be huge, but the social awareness impact certainly is!
From bread bowls we move on to furry stuffed animals! Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc (NYSE:BBW), a fixture in malls around the U.S., and a partner of Autism Speaks for nine years running, raised nearly $200,000 alone in 2013 thanks to the sale of a blue bear to commemorate World Autism Awareness Day and Autism Awareness Month in April. Having been partnered with Autism Speaks for such a long period of time, it isn’t surprising to find out that Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc (NYSE:BBW) has raised more than $1 million for research.
Among discount stores, few have done their part to raise autism awareness and generate money for research than the nation’s largest discount retailer, Dollar General Corp. (NYSE:DG). In 2013, Dollar General Corp. (NYSE:DG) helped raise more than $1.1 million through at-the-register donations, and even sported the Autism Speaks puzzle piece logo on its NASCAR-sponsored stock car throughout the month of April. Since it partnered with Autism Speaks in 2010, Dollar General Corp. (NYSE:DG) has raised more than $3.4 million.
One way to improve awareness of this disease is to partner with the largest chain of home improvement stores in the United States. This year, The Home Depot, Inc. (NYSE:HD) sponsored a blue incandescent light bulb from March 1 through April 30 and donated a portion of all sales from its U.S. and Canadian locations to Autism Speaks. Cumulatively since it began its partnership with Autism Speaks back in 2011, The Home Depot, Inc. (NYSE:HD) has donated close to $915,000.
Last, but certainly not least, is The TJX Companies, Inc. (NYSE:TJX), the parent company behind discount name-brand clothing retailer The TJX Companies, Inc. (NYSE:TJX). For its 2013 campaign, The TJX Companies, Inc. (NYSE:TJX), in its 10th year of partnering with Autism Speaks, sold puzzle pieces in all of its 1,000-plus stores for $1 apiece. This year it raised a record $1.8 million, and over its 10-year partnership the clothing retailer is closing in on $11 million in donations.
These are actually just a handful of Autism Speaks’ partners, but I feel they are the most fitting of the group to receive my two thumbs up this week.
The article 6 Corporate Heroes of Autism Research originally appeared on Fool.com is written by Sean Williams.
Fool contributor Sean Williams has no material interest in any companies mentioned in this article. You can follow him on CAPS under the screen name TMFUltraLong, track every pick he makes under the screen name TrackUltraLong, and check him out on Twitter, where he goes by the handle @TMFUltraLong.The Motley Fool owns shares of, and recommends, Panera Bread. It also recommends Home Depot.
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