Pretty neat, huh?

The convenient timing of all things 11, coupled with a national holiday, presented us with a quirky promotion angle we just couldn’t ignore.

Now, don’t get us wrong. 111 stores is a BIG deal for Orange Leaf. But we wanted to do more with this opportunity than just celebrate our success – we wanted to say “thanks.”

So, we decided to team up with AMillionThanks.org, a nonprofit whose sole mission is to send letters of thanks to both active and veteran American soldiers.

Even we were surprised by the response from customers, franchisees and their employees. Our very own CEO Reese Travis grew up in a military family, experiencing firsthand the sacrifice and dedication necessary for serving the United States.

From Nov. 1 through Nov. 11, “Thank Tank” stations were available at every Orange  Leaf  location for people to come in and write encouraging words  to the  men and  women who  have so bravely served our country. Many  people shared  their personal  ties to the armed  forces on our Facebook  page, encouraging  everyone from  elementary school children to  veterans themselves to participate.

Rallying our communities through this campaign was a great way for all of  us at Orange Leaf  to fulfill our mission of promoting family and  community.  After all, we  are  America’s Frozen  Yogurt™.

We thank everyone who participated in the “Thanks A Million!” campaign,  but most  of all,  we  thank our troops for the many sacrifices they have  made  to keep  us safe  and free.

Didn’t make it into the store? No problem!  Just visit AMillionThanks.org and write your letter today.

The week leading up to the event, customers entered their names in a raffle for the chance to be one of 20 who won tickets to the exclusive after-hours event and famous Ms. Louisiana pageant. The 20 lucky winners, 36 beautiful contestants, another 36 faithful hostesses and the reigning Ms. Louisiana herself enjoyed all the fro-yo and toppings they could eat.

The party was a huge hit, particularly for three little girls whose eyes lit up like pageant spotlights when they discovered they’d get to see the competition up close and personal. Hagan was happy to support the Ms. Louisiana crown and roll out the red carpet (literally) for her glamorous customers and their favorite frozen yogurt – even if it did set the attractiveness bar pretty high for future events.

When a 6-year-old girl was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease, her family’s world turned upside down and faced drastic change. She was soon transferred to Texas Children’s Hospital in Dallas for treatment, presenting her family with the extra burden of travel expenses.

Porter set up a fund to alleviate some of the financial pressure the family faced and encourage them in their time of need. Orange Leaf customers were eager to help their neighbor and generously raised over $500 for the family before their daughter sadly passed away on May 28. The community continues to offer support, still contributing money for lingering expenses.

We would like to thank Tracey Porter for seeing a need in her community and using her Orange Leaf store as a means to help. Our thoughts are with the family and we appreciate all the customers who have contributed to the fund. If you would like to offer your support, contact mlynn@orangeleafyogurt.com.

On July 9, over 250 runners crossed the finish line – a number Pelicano said she can easily triple next year. With a lower entry fee, the race was not intended to be a moneymaker, but rather a fun event to rally the community and inspire healthier habits.

Winner, Neal Lucas completed in a speedy 1:16:00 and went home with a one of a kind Orange Leaf trophy. The day was a huge success filled with friends, fun and, of course, plenty of America’s Frozen Yogurt™.

That night, the Orange Leaf employees on duty and several customers waited out the storm in the store’s bathrooms and thankfully, no one was injured. In the aftermath, Knorpp and other survivors in the community, along with volunteers from across the country, lent a helping hand to storm victims in an attempt to rebuild and heal a broken city.

After five days, McAlister’s Deli on the other end of the strip rented a large generator to get things rolling back toward normal. Knorpp borrowed some of their power until permanent electricity could be restored and immediately got to work.

The weekend after the tornado, Orange Leaf opened its doors to the community and served free yogurt for several hours a day – a small, yet much needed, pick-me-up.

It’s franchisees like Jacob Knorpp who inspire us all to use the resources we have available – be it time, money, or frozen yogurt – for helping our neighbors through times of crisis.