At its Leadership Meeting held recently at Six Flags in Agawam, Mass., one of Panera Bread’s foremost franchises, the Howley Bread Group, LTD, based in Cumberland, presented its 2009 Community Service Award to the Cranston bakery-cafe. Panera Cranston was recognized for raising the most donations during a three-week in-cafe effort on behalf of the cafe’s Operation Dough-Nation partner, Children’s Friend & Services and its seventh annual 2009 Walk for Children held recently at Roger Williams Park. The Howley Bread Group owns and operates 20 Panera Bread bakery-cafes throughout the region.

The 10 bakery-cafes, including Cranston and Warwick, that participated in the fundraising effort contributed a total of $6,900 to the Children’s Friend Walk for Children through a special Post-it campaign that engaged customers to donate and display Walk stickers throughout the cafes. Panera Cranston raised a cafe-winning total of $1,177.61 and Bill Alexander, an associate at the Cranston cafe, single-handedly raised $564.20 for the cause. The Walk donation was part of a $31,188.31 annual gift the eight local bakery-cafes recently presented to Children’s Friend.

“All the staff at the Cranston cafe really went the extra mile for its Operation Dough-Nation partner, Children’s Friend & Services, and is especially deserving of this award,” said Bahjat Shariff, vice president of Operations for Panera Bread/Howley Bread Group. “I’d like to congratulate each and every one of them for their dedication to this wonderful organization and the children across the state who it supports.”

Operation Dough-Nation is a program committed to ensuring that purchases at Panera Bread feed back into the community. Cash donations made in each bakery-cafe by customers are increased through various matching programs by Panera/HBG and donated to local organizations. Children’s Friend & Services, with offices on 153 Summer St. in Providence, works to promote the well-being and healthy development of vulnerable children across the state by providing flexible, effective and culturally relevant services that support and strengthen families and communities.

For more information, contact the Cranston bakery-cafes at 5 New London Ave., Cranston, by calling 946-4766 or visiting www.panerabread.com.