Thousand Oaks - 6 February, 2003 -

This wasn't the ordinary school fundraiser. Hosted by Baja Fresh, Madro a Elementary School students and parents gathered on the red carpet with celebrities while entering the crowded quick-casual Mexican restaurant. Celebrities in attendance included Danny Trejo (Spy Kids), Paula Trickey (Pacfic Blue), Paulo Benedeti (Bold and the Beautiful), Rick Yune (007's Die Another Day), Paul Wasilewski (American Dreams), Diego Serrano (Rent) and Matt Borlenghi (Prime Evil). This fundraiser was in conjunction with Baja Fresh's ongoing "200 Schools for 200 Restaurants" program that was officially kicked off at the opening of the 200th Restaurant in Calabasas, CA in November 2002. Throughout 2002, Baja Fresh raised funds for over 60 schools and educational programs in California alone. Now with over 210 Restaurants across the nation, Baja Fresh continues to drive this effort by paring up each of their restaurants with local schools while approaching famous alumni and/or community representatives to attend the fundraising events. "We understand that our customers are part of the community and we want to support them as they have supported us. Education is a priority in our nation and on a local basis, through our fundraising abilities, we can make a difference," states Greg Dollarhyde, CEO of Baja Fresh. This cause-related effort is just another example of Baja Fresh's ongoing campaign to give back to the community. Through their established, "Celebrities for Charity" program, Baja Fresh has raised funds for charities through in-store fundraisers and online auctions of signed celebrity memorabilia. Charities involved include: The Recording Academy's MusiCares Foundation, Andre Agassi's Charitable Foundation and Shaquille O'Neal's Athletes and Entertainers for Kids, among others. Founded in 1990 in Southern California, Baja Fresh has over 210 company-owned and franchised locations across the country. If you are interested in seeing how your school or educational program can get involved with Baja Fresh's fundraising program, go into your local store and fill out a fundraising flyer or visit the Web site at www.bajafresh.com. Baja Fresh is the defining standard in "quick-casual", fresh Mexican food, and has the highest sales per restaurant in this industry category. Baja Fresh Mexican Grill is a wholly owned subsidiary of Wendy's International, Inc.

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