MERCED, Calif.  – The Wingstop location in Merced, 779 E. Yosemite Ave, announced today that the Ballet Folklorico de UC Merced is issuing Wingstop Community All-Star Certificates to those in the community interested in helping the group raise money to attend and participate in the statewide Danzantes Unidos Festival.

 

The fundraiser will start Wednesday, February 18 and end March 31. Residents interested in turning their patronage of Wingstop into funds needed by Ballet Folklorico de UC Merced, can receive a certificate by emailing adiaz5@ucmerced.edu. When a Wingstop diner brings in a certificate and submits it with their order, the store will staple the receipt of what was purchased to the certificate. At the end of the promotion period, the store will calculate the certificate pre-tax sales total and issue a check for 10 percent to the beneficiary, Ballet Folklorico de UC Merced, says Eldridge Johns, the Merced Wingstop owner.

 

“We are happy to do this for this group because they dearly need the money in order to make it to the Danzantes Unidos Festival which is coming up soon,” said Johns. “In fact, this is a promotion that we are happy to run for any charitable cause here in our community.”

 

Johns learned of Ballet Folklorico’s needs through Alejandra Diaz, one of his employees who is also the leader of the Merced Ballet Folklorico group.

 

The fundamental objective of Danzantes Unidos is to serve as the umbrella structure to promote and support the Mexican Folk experience through education, performance, visual arts, and research including, but not limited to an annual three-day celebration known as Danzantes Unidos Festival.

Wingstop offers restaurants with a nostalgic, aviation-themed atmosphere where the sole focus is on chicken wings, always starting with fresh wings, cooked to order in nine proprietary flavors.   The chain also serves boneless wing strips that are made from 100 percent all-white meat chicken breast coated with a proprietary batter and breading. Wingstop features nine wing flavors, including Original Hot, Atomic, Cajun, Mild, Lemon Pepper, Garlic Parmesan, Hawaiian, Teriyaki, and Hickory Smoked BBQ,. The wings are always made-to-order and served steaming hot. Customers can also choose from homemade side dishes including fresh-cut seasoned fries, bourbon baked beans, potato salad, creamy cole slaw, vegetable sticks, rolls and assorted dipping sauces.

 

Wingstop has more than 600 restaurants either open or under development in 32 states and consistently tops industry growth rankings. Wingstop recently won an American Business Award for Best Overall Company and is 125^th on Entrepreneur’s 2008 Franchise 500 list and was chosen Wing King at the 2006 National Buffalo Wing Festival. Troy Aikman, three-time Super Bowl champion and Hall of Fame quarterback, has served as the chain’s national spokesman since 2003. Aikman extended his contract in 2006 for three years, as Wingstop has posted 22 consecutive quarters of comp store sales increases since the partnership.