Pink Star Fundraiser Reaches for $1 Million Goal

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Mon Apr 20, 2009 8:00am EDT

Carl`s Jr. and Hardee`s Restaurants Continue the Campaign to Fight Breast Cancer
CARPINTERIA, Calif.--(Business Wire)--
CKE Restaurants, Inc. hopes to reach its $1 million goal with the 2009 Pink Star
Fundraiser for Breast Cancer. Having raised more than $900,000 in 2008`s
campaign, Carl`s Jr.® and Hardee`s® restaurants are counting on the generosity
of their customers to reach this milestone number during the four-week campaign.
The fundraiser, now in its fifth year, will begin today at Hardee`s and April
22nd at Carl`s Jr. and will conclude May 17th. 

"We know we`ve set a lofty fundraising goal this year given the current state of
the economy, but we strongly believe in being an advocate for those issues
affecting our customers, our employees and their families," said Andrew F.
Puzder, chief executive officer of CKE Restaurants, parent company to both
brands. "We`re proud to support a quality organization like the National Breast
Cancer Foundation (NBCF) and we have faith in the generosity of our customers." 

The program has grown exponentially since 2005 when it was initiated by the Star
Franchise Association, the Carl`s Jr. franchise organization. Carl`s Jr.
company-owned restaurants came on board in 2006. Hardee`s joined the charitable
program in 2007. The Pink Star program collectively raised more than $650,000 in
2007, increasing that number to more than $900,000 in the 2008 campaign. The
2009 event will have the participation of more than 3,100 Carl`s Jr. and
Hardee`s restaurants nationwide, all with the common goal to raise money and
awareness. 

During the campaign, guests are encouraged to purchase a commemorative pink
Happy Star® cutout for $1. After personalizing their star with their name or
adding a brief message, guests receive coupons to use toward future visits
valued at over $10. Soon, each restaurant will be "in the pink" as the stars
begin to adorn the walls. 

"Each pink Happy Star that is added to our restaurant walls shows our commitment
to supporting organizations like the NBCF," said Puzder. "It also serves as a
very impactful visual reminder of the brave individuals and families who are
facing down this deadly disease." 

The leave-behind piece combines Happy Star, which is the icon for both
restaurant brands, along with the color pink which has come to represent hope
and awareness for the plight of women everywhere who are fighting breast cancer.
All of the campaign printed materials are donated by Carl`s Jr. and Hardee`s
supplier, SynqSolutions, Inc. of Atlanta, Georgia. 

"Support from CKE Restaurants and their Carl`s Jr. and Hardee`s brands provides
us with necessary funds to expand our current educational programs that focus on
the importance of early detection," said Janelle Hail, president of the National
Breast Cancer Foundation. "The Pink Star campaign not only raises awareness but
also allows us to continue to grow our mammogram services that provide
low-income women and those without adequate insurance access to truly the best
early detection method currently available." 

About CKE Restaurants, Inc.

Headquartered in Carpinteria, Calif., CKE Restaurants, Inc. is publicly traded
on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "CKR." As of the fourth fiscal
quarter ended January 26, 2009, CKE Restaurants, Inc., through its subsidiaries,
had a total of 3,116 franchised, licensed or company-operated restaurants in 42
states and in 14 countries, including 1,195 Carl`s Jr. restaurants and 1,908
Hardee`s restaurants. For more information about CKE Restaurants, please visit
www.ckr.com. 

About the National Breast Cancer Foundation

According to the NBCF, more than 208,000 American women will be diagnosed with
breast cancer this year - and 41,250 will die. One woman in eight either has, or
will develop, breast cancer in her lifetime. In addition, 1,750 men will be
diagnosed with breast cancer this year, and 450 will die. If detected early, the
five-year survival rate exceeds 95 percent. Mammograms are among the best
early-detection methods, yet 14 million U.S. women 40 years of age or older have
never had a mammogram. For more information about the NBCF or to donate
directly, visit www.nationalbreastcancer.org. 

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CKE Restaurants, Inc.
Jenna Petroff, 314-259-6277
jpetroff@ckr.com

Copyright Business Wire 2009

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