Krispy Kreme Is Now Hot

The Krispy Kreme Clinic for Children

Krispy Kreme DoughnutsCharlie Greer was right when he was pitching his famous line: “Where money talks, nobody walks.” So it is that $2 million from a doughnut fundraiser led the North Carolina Children’s Hospital to rename its clinic to become the “Krispy Kreme Challenge Children’s Specialty Clinic.” Seriously. Never in a million years would we make this one up.

UNC Children’s is quick to say that the money doesn’t come from a marketing arrangement with Krispy Kreme. True enough. It comes from a fundraiser that challenges people to run and eat a dozen glazed doughnuts in one gulp. Krispy Kreme is just a sponsor. And they own the Krispy Kreme trademark, obviously.

This bold fundraising move comes at a time when hospitals are systematically ridding themselves of unhealthy fast food. Likewise the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics had to eat crow (is that stuff healthy?) earlier this year after a deal to let its logo appear on Kraft Singles was shot down by public derision. No doubt some folks at the Academy are reading about the Krispy Creme Children’s Clinic and scratching their heads.

Schools are moving away from junk food fundraisers. Coke is taking a public flogging for promoting and supporting physical activity. Sugar is public enemy number one.

Maybe the Krispy Kreme Children’s Clinic has a secret plan to lick childhood obesity. We can almost taste it.

Click here to read the press release from UNC Children’s. Click here to read more about healthy food fundraising.

Krispy Kreme Is Now Hot, photograph © Gregg Sloan / flickr

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October 16, 2015