Panera Bread is joining the fight against breast cancer for the 14th yearby baking its signature Pink Ribbon Bagels®. A staple every October in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the sale of more than nine million bagels over the years by company and franchise cafes have raised over $2 million for breast cancer charities nationwide.
This October, at participating Panera bakery-cafes in the Chattanooga-area, a portion of sales from each Pink Ribbon Bagel sold will be donated to the Chattanooga Affiliate of Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure to help support its mission to end breast cancer in their communities.
“Panera Bread locations in the Chattanooga-area are honored to work alongside our customers to
support the Chattanooga Affiliate of Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in October.” Said Tom Krings,operating partner, “We’re proud to offer the Pink Ribbon Bagel as a way to help raise both funds and attention for the cause during Breast Cancer Awareness Month.”
Shaped in the form of the iconic pink ribbon, the Pink Ribbon Bagel features cherry chips, dried cherries and cranberries, vanilla, honey, and brown sugar, and is baked fresh each morning by Panera’s bakers at each participating bakery-cafe.
The Pink Ribbon Bagel concept began in 2001 when Sue Stees, co-owner of 22 Panera Bread franchises and a breast cancer survivor, began searching for ways to help other women fighting the same disease. Her search led her to the kitchen where she developed the Pink Ribbon Bagel. She sold 27,000 bagels in her bakery-cafes that first year and was awarded the “You Can Make a Difference Award” from Susan G. Komen for the Cure.