Hard Rock Detroit 'Imagines' a Hunger-free Future

Hard Rock Cafe Detroit is kicking off the season of giving by supporting community-based solutions to hunger for children and families worldwide. Hard Rock International, Yoko Ono Lennon and WhyHunger join forces for the eighth year of the IMAGINE THERE’S NO HUNGER campaign, which aims to fight childhood hunger and poverty through the support of sustainable agriculture education and nutritious meals. Inspired by John Lennon and his iconic song “IMAGINE,” the campaign strives to turn his dream of a world with no hunger into a reality. In support of that mission, Hard Rock Cafe Detroit has teamed up with Roop Raj of FOX 2 Detroit to debut The Legendary Roop Raj sandwich, available to guests November 13 through December 31, 2015. The Legendary Roop Raj is a chicken breast sandwich marinated in barbeque sauce and topped with shredded cheese, mayo, onion slices, lettuce and tomato. In addition to WhyHunger, proceeds of The Legendary Roop Raj will benefit Gleaners Community Food Bank, an organization that has distributed 34 million pounds of emergency food to more than 510 partner soup kitchens, shelters and pantries in Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Livingston, and Monroe counties in the past year.
“I’m so grateful to Hard Rock Cafe Detroit and Roop Raj for naming Gleaners as beneficiary of this campaign,” said Anne Schenk, Vice President of Communication for Gleaners. “The holidays are a tough time for many families, and we need all the support we can get to keep people fed between now and the end of the year.”
“We are so grateful Roop Raj wanted to put his creative culinary ideas to the test and create The Legendary Roop Raj,” Mary Courie, Assistant General Manager of the Hard Rock Cafe Detroit stated. “Roop is such a positive force in our community and it was fitting that Gleaners is one of his charities. We encourage all of our guests to come out to Hard Rock Cafe Detroit to try our new chicken sandwich to help support such a great cause.” 
True to Hard Rock’s mottos, “Love All – Serve All” and “Take Time to be Kind,” philanthropy has been the soul of the brand since its founding in 1971, and now guests can join in the fight against childhood hunger and poverty. During the months of November and December, guests can supportby visiting Hard Rock properties around the world to purchase IMAGINE merchandise. 
Beginning on Monday, November 2, 2015, Hard Rock will offer limited-edition IMAGINE THERE’S NO HUNGER merchandise, including a bracelet and shirt. For a $2 donation, guests can choose from an assortment of colored bracelets with 100 percent of funds raised benefiting WhyHunger. Additionally, 15 percent of the retail price of the IMAGINE shirt, which features the inspiring words “IMAGINE THERE’S NO HUNGER” alongside a peace sign, will benefit WhyHunger. Merchandise is available for purchase at Rock Shops at Hard Rock Cafe, Hotel and Casino properties around the world and online at www.hardrock.com.  
With Hard Rock and the gracious support of Yoko Ono Lennon through the years, IMAGINE has helped communities grow enough food to provide more than 9.8 million nutritious meals in 31 countries. The campaign has supported programs that taught more than 47,800 community members techniques for sustained food production and has raised more than $6.8 million to help fight childhood hunger. 
As part of the 2015 IMAGINE THERE’S NO HUNGER campaign, Hard Rock encourages fans to show their support by using the #ImagineNoHunger hashtag on social media. Whether sharing photos of Hard Rock’s IMAGINE merchandise or how they support the IMAGINE campaign, Hard Rock looks to its guests to join the fight and utilize the #ImagineNoHunger hashtag in their social media posts this season.
For additional information on the IMAGINE program, visit www.hardrock.com/IMAGINE.