Chili's has fund-raiser for St. Jude Children's Hospital

September is National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and in 2004, Chili's went nationwide asking customers to "Create a Pepper to Fight Childhood Cancer."

Chili's Grill and Bar began the fund-raiser for St Jude Children's Hospital in an attempt to raise as much money as possible.

Customers were asked to buy items such as T-shirts, wristbands and pepper-shaped pinups, which they could color and hang up on the walls of the restaurant.

"In 2004, our store raised about $2,500 and as a company raised over $2 million," said Brian Lehman, general manager at Chili's in Amarillo.

This year, Chili's is doing more.

The restaurant has promised to raise more than $50 million during the next 10 years to build the new Chili's Care Center.

The Chili's Care Center will be the home of the Department of Radiological Sciences, the Pediatric Brain Tumor Consortium and new research labs.

It will be six stories tall, 325,000 square feet and is scheduled to open in fall 2007.

Shane Romero, a former Amarillo College student and manager at Chili's, said, "Our store goal this year is $3,700, and our overall goal is to raise $3.5 million."

Chili's almost has reached its store goal but still has a few tactics up its sleeve.

Nichole Thompson, a sports medicine major and a Chili's server, said she is willing to go above and beyond for St. Jude.

"Every Saturday this month, a few servers set up a table in front of Wal-Mart on Coulter and sell T-shirts, wristbands and take donations," she said.

The first Saturday was canceled because of the weather, but the next Saturday was a definite go.

"In about five hours, we raised about $650," Thompson said.

Thompson's grandparents both died from cancer and her father had brain tumors, "so this fund-raiser means a lot to me, and that's the reason that makes me try so hard to raise as much money as I have done," she said.

Thompson alone has raised more than $800 and is ranked No. 13 in the district for raising money.

In 2005, the Chili's company raised more than $3.4 million, with $600,000 of it raised in one day.

The last Monday of each September, Chili's donates all its profits to St. Jude Children's Hospital.

"It was a difficult September with all of the hurricanes that hit, but it made people reach out even more," Lehman said.

This year, Sept. 25 will be "Donate Our Profits Day."

"Our hope this year is to raise over $1 million on 'Donate Our Profits Day,'" Lehman said.

"So grab your friends and family, stop by and have a great time for a great cause."