SPARTANBURG, S.C. (Nov. 15, 2011) - Denny's is teaming up with Aardman and Sony Pictures Animation's 3D, CG-animated family comedy "Arthur Christmas," in theaters Nov. 23, and the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation to help six cities throughout the country make holiday dreams come true for thousands of children.
From 5 a.m. local time on Monday, Nov. 21, through 5 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 22, several Denny's diners in the Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix, Dallas, St. Louis and Miami areas will host toy drives supporting Toys for Tots. Marines will be on site at each location to collect toy donations and give thanks to donors. In the spirit of the holidays, Denny's will give the first 500 donors at each of the local participating diners a gift that will put a smile on anyone's face: a voucher for a free Original Grand Slam® breakfast on their next visit as a thank you for their generous contribution.
"The holidays are a magical time, but sadly there are thousands of children who may not have a gift to open on Christmas morning," said Bill Ruby, Denny's vice president of field marketing. "In the movie 'Arthur Christmas,' Santa's son Arthur believes that every child should have a gift at Christmas. Toys for Tots shares in that mission, and Denny's is proud to support them in their efforts."
The toy drives will mark the 10th day of the "12 Days of Arthur Christmas," a holiday celebration leading up to the Nov. 23 opening. Events across the country range from book readings to ice skating to giving back to those in need. As a proud partner of the new film, Denny's will also feature two festive "Arthur Favorites" dishes on its new holiday menu including Arthur's Milk & Cookies Shake and Arthur's Christmas Cookie Pancakes. Denny's will also donate a percentage of the proceeds from the sale of each of these menu items to the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation.
The toy drive sites are strategically placed throughout each participating city for easy access for all residents:
- Dallas/Fort Worth
- 868 NE Asbury Blvd. - Burleson, Texas
- 4601 S. Hulen Rd. - Ft. Worth, Texas
- 3543 Jim Wright Freeway - Lake Worth, Texas
- 4115 W. Airport Freeway - Irving, Texas
- 114 Highway 80 - Mesquite, Texas
- 2801 S. Highway 287 - Corsicana, Texas
- 408 N. I-35 East Service Rd. - Red Oak, Texas
- 1830 N. Central Expressway - Plano, Texas
- 4928 S. Cooper St. - Arlington, Texas
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- 1415 Medical District Dr. - Dallas, Texas
- Los Angeles
- 5535 W. Century Blvd. - Los Angeles, Calif.
- 3000 W. Chapman Ave. - Orange, Calif.
- 1822 W. 6th St. - Corona, Calif.
- 2148 E. Harbor Blvd. - Ventura, Calif.
- 18932 W. Soledad Canyon Rd. - Canyon Country, Calif.
- Miami
- 12100 W. Sunrise Blvd. - Plantation, Fla.
- 16935 NW 67th Ave. - Miami Lakes, Fla.
- 5000 N. Federal Highway - Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
- Phoenix
- 3456 W. Bethany Home Rd. - Phoenix, Ariz.
- 4120 N. 51st Ave. - Phoenix, Ariz.
- 10614 N. 43rd Ave. - Glendale, Ariz.
- 1368 N. Cooper Rd. - Gilbert, Ariz.
- 2525 W. Deer Valley Rd. - Phoenix, Ariz.
- 4403 S. Rural Rd. - Tempe, Ariz.
- San Diego
- 3920 W. Point Loma - San Diego, Calif.
- 605 College Blvd. - Oceanside, Calif.
- 2691 Navajo Rd. - El Cajon, Calif.
- 2203 Via de la Valle - Del Mar, Calif.
- St. Louis
- 6441 S. Lindbergh Blvd. - St. Louis, Mo.
- 3939 Veterans Memorial Pkwy. - St. Peters, Mo.
- 737 W. Highway 50 - O'Fallon, Ill.
- 1 Grand Dr. - Troy, Mo.
- 1096 S. Highway Dr. - Fenton, Mo.
For more information about Denny's Taste of the Holidays menu or to find a restaurant near you, please visit www.dennys.com.
About Denny's
Denny's (NASDAQ: DENN) is America's largest full-service family restaurant chain, serving classic American food and every day value 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Based in Spartanburg, S.C., Denny's currently operates more than 1,600 franchised, licensed, and company-owned restaurants across the United States, Canada, Costa Rica, Mexico, Guam, Puerto Rico and New Zealand. For more information, including news releases, franchising opportunities and investor relations, visit www.dennys.com.
About Marine Toys for Tots Foundation
The Marine Toys for Tots Foundation is a not-for-profit organization authorized by the U.S. Marine Corps and the Department of Defense to provide fundraising and other necessary support for the annual Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program. Now in its 64th year, Toys for Tots provides joy and a message of hope to less fortunate children through the gift of a new toy or book during the Christmas holiday season. Our gifts offer these children hope, recognition and a positive memory they will cherish for a lifetime. Many of the gifts we provide, such as books, games and sports equipment, make a significant contribution to the educational, social and recreational development of these children. In 2010, Marines distributed gifts to 7.2 million children in over 700 communities nationwide. The Marine Toys for Tots Foundation relies on individual donations from the American public as well as support from corporate sponsors. For more information, visit www.toysfortots.org.
About "Arthur Christmas"
"Arthur Christmas," an Aardman production for Sony Pictures Animation, at last reveals the incredible, never-before-seen answer to every child's question: "So how does Santa deliver all those presents in one night?" The answer: Santa's exhilarating, ultra-high-tech operation hidden beneath the North Pole. But at the heart of the film is a story with the ingredients of a Christmas classic - a family in a state of comic dysfunction and an unlikely hero: Santa's youngest son, Arthur. When this amazing operation misses one child out of hundreds of millions, Arthur, the least capable Claus, embarks on a hilarious, exciting rogue mission against the clock with his politically incorrect grandfather Grandsanta and a giftwrapping-obsessed elf named Bryony, to deliver the last present before Christmas morning dawns. The film is directed by Sarah Smith, written by Peter Baynham & Sarah Smith, and produced by Peter Lord, David Sproxton, Carla Shelley, and Steve Pegram.
About Aardman
Aardman, based in Bristol (UK), co-founded and run by Peter Lord and David Sproxton, is a world leader in animation. It produces feature films, television series and television commercials for both the domestic and international market. The studio has won over 400 international awards including four Oscars®.Aardman's highly creative stop-motion style and creative sensibilities have proven popular with critics and audiences around the world. In 2000, Chicken Run, their debut feature, took in nearly $225 million worldwide; since then, Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit grossed nearly $200 million and Flushed Away, their first CG feature, earned $176 million. All three films have achieved enormous critical acclaim, with the three films earning a total of 27 Annie Award nominations (the animation community's highest honor). In addition, Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit was honored with the Academy Award® for Best Animated Feature. For more information visit: http://www.aardman.com. In addition to the CG-animated Arthur Christmas, Aardman is also in production on the stop-motion The Pirates! Band of Misfits.
About Sony Pictures Animation
Sony Pictures Animation produces a variety of animated entertainment for audiences around the world. The studio is following its worldwide comedy hits, the 2011 hybrid live action/animated family blockbuster, The Smurfs (3D) and the 2009 mouth-watering Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (3D), with the family comedy Hotel Transylvania (3D) in Fall 2012. The division is also in production with Aardman Animations on two feature films, the CG-animated family comedy Arthur Christmas (3D) in theaters November 2011 and the stop-frame animated high-seas adventure, The Pirates! Band of Misfits (3D) in March 2012. Open Season 3, the third adventure in Sony Pictures Animation's successful Open Season franchise, was released on DVD and Blu-ray January 2011. In 2007, Surf's Up received an Academy Award®-nomination for Best Animated Feature Film. Sony Pictures Animation is an operating unit of Sony Pictures Digital Productions. For more information, visit:
http://www.sonypicturesanimation.com/.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SONYPicturesAnimation
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/sonyanimation
Denny's Media Contact:
Kate Wiegmann
Erwin Penland
864-752-4776
kate.wiegmann@erwinpenland.com
Toys for Tots Media Contact:
Misti Dragano
First Degree
410-263-5312
mdragano@1stdegree.com