Oxford’s Panera Bread Hosts Golf Tournament to Send Families to Disney World

Oxford’s Panera Bread will be sponsoring a golf tournament at the Ole Miss Golf Course on Saturday, August 27 to send terminally ill children and their families to Disney World for an entire week.

The manager of Panera Bread, Jody Keough, has combined forces with cancer survivor and founder of Baking Memories 4 Kids, Frank Squeo. Founded in 2012, Baking Memories 4 Kids’ mission is to create memories for children with terminal illness by send them and their families on an all-expenses-paid trip to the amusement parks in Florida.

Keough moved to Oxford a little over a year ago from Water valley and has been with Panera since it opened its doors two years ago in September. He attended Orlando Culinary Academy and has been employed at places such as Fitzgerald and Disney World. He was also a manager at Buffalo Wild Wings where he learned about Baking Memories 4 Kids which he then supported for three years.

“I want to raise enough money to send two families to Disney World,” said Keough on Panera Bread’s goal for the golf tournament.

Panera Bread also helps Baking Memories 4 Kids where its employees ask customers to round up their total price from which the proceeds would go into Baking Memories 4 Kids. Using this method, Panera Bread has raised enough money to send four or five families on trips to Florida’s amusement parks.

Panera’s catering coordinator Kaitlyn Hendon said that she is excited to see happiness within the families when they get their tickets to Disney World. “With all the procedures and tests, it’s good that they will have something to remember,” said Hendon.

To send an entire family to Disney World costs $8,000. Each family is nominated online at bakingmemories4kids.com and once they are nominated they can begin the approval process.

Keough explains that he plans on making the golf tournament an annual event.

During the tournament, there will be food provided along with drinks, green fees, cart fees, and entry fee. Prices are $300 per team or $75 per person. To sign up, stop by Panera and fill out the form or contact Jody Keough at 662-234-3793.

Ashley Norwood is enrolled in Meek School of Journalism and New Media. She can be reached at annorwoo@go.olemiss.edu.

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