Hardee’s® and MRG Management Present $10,000 to Local Military Charity

St. Paul, Minn. – 2/1/2012

HARDEE’S® and MRG Management, Inc. Present $10,000 to Local Military Charity

– Hardees and local franchise operator, MRG Management, Inc., have come together in a big way today to help military families in need. MRG Management, owners of the St. Paul Hardees, in collaboration with CKE Restaurants, have graciously donated $10,000 to the Minnesota based Healing Heroes program, coordinated by AMVETS.

The funds for the donation came from CKE Restaurants Stars for Troops fundraiser that was held in mid-2011. The Hardees of St. Paul participated in this fundraiser along with other Carls Jr. and Hardees restaurants across the country, where they sold a commemorative paper star that was personalized and displayed in the local store for $1 each. The three week long campaign raised over $1 million nationwide, and $10,000 of those funds have now been donated to the Healing Heroes program of Minnesota.

The AMVETS Healing Heroes Program provides grants to family members of traumatically-wounded veterans to pay for the costs associated with travel which allows them to be at the sides of their recovering veterans  where they belong!

Since World War II, AMVETS has proudly stood up for the men and women whose sacrifices ensure the very freedoms we enjoy every day as Americans, said AMVETS National Commander Gary L. Fry. Today, Hardees joins us shoulder-to-shoulder in our mission of service to our American heroes, demonstrating an uncommon commitment to social responsibility and true patriotism. I thank Hardees for its generous contribution.

A unique feature of this non-profit program is that 100 percent of all money donated to AMVETS Healing Heroes is purposed for these grants, with nothing being spent on administrative overhead.

We are dedicated to the success of the communities we operate in, and pride ourselves in giving back to the community whenever it is possible for us to do so, said Leah Pidde of MRG Management, Inc. We are proud to be working with AMVETS and the Healing Heroes program, because we believe in the work they are doing to help veterans not only in our community, but in other communities around the country.

About Hardees and CKE Restaurants Inc:

CKE Restaurants, Inc. is a privately held company headquartered in Carpentaria, Calif. As of the end of fiscal 2011, CKE, through its subsidiaries, had a total of 3,159 franchised, licensed or company-operated restaurants in 42 states and 19 countries, including 1,249 Carls Jr. Restaurants and 1,899 Hardees Restaurants. For more

information about CKE and its brands, please visit www.ckr.com.

The Hardees of St. Paul is operated by MRG Management, Inc., which is owned by Mike Hoff, and Dave Glodowski of Brooklyn Park, Minn. MRG Management manages 19 Hardees Restaurants in Minnesota and Iowa. In 2011, MRG donated over $30,000 to local organizations throughout Minnesota and Iowa.

About AMVETS:

A leader since 1944 in preserving the freedoms secured by Americas armed forces, AMVETS provides support for veterans and the active military in procuring their earned entitlements, as well as community service and legislative reform that enhances the quality of life for this nations citizens and veterans alike. AMVETS is one of the largest congressionally-chartered veterans service organizations in the United States, and includes members from each branch of the military including the National Guard and Reserves. For more information, visit

www.amvets.org. Information about the Healing Heroes program can be found at www.amvetsnsf.org/heroes.html.

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