Pretzel Factory and Susan G. Komen Team Up for Tasty Fundraiser

For the fifth straight year, the is putting a delicious twist on a great cause

During the month of October, each of its locations are participating in a fund drive for Susan G. Komen for a Cure foundation. The stores are selling $1 pretzels in the shape of breast cancer awareness ribbons, half of the proceeds from which will go towards research and screenings for the disease.

Last year, 50 cents of the $1 pretzel went to the cause, which raised $20,000. This month, the hope is to double that.

"It's great to get out of the rat race for a minute and help out a great cause," said Gary Nolan, the owner of six Pretzel Factory franchises, which includes , , Plymouth Meeting, Media, Paoli and Philadelphia locations.

To further raise awareness for the ailment that an estimated one in eight American women will develop in their lifetime, Nolan and other owners are asking each customer who buys the special pretzel to sign their name on a paper ribbon and pin it to their store's wall—creating a "Wall of Fame."

Elaine Grobman, the executive director of the Philadelphia affiliate of , said her branch gets robust support from a number of local companies, but called the Pretzel Factory's contribution unique.

"They're a successful business that cares about the community and are doing everything they can to help raise money to fight breast cancer," said Grobman. "It's a very unique and caring company. What they do is appreciated."

Nolan said the drive was conceived of at the corporate level, but embraced by the individual franchise owners.

"We thought that if there was anything we could do to raise money for a cause like this, we would have to do it," said Nolan, who estimated that he will sell about a thousand of the pink ribbon pretzels in each of his stores this month.

Grobman maintains that the success of the fundraiser is also a reflection of the community.

"It shows the commitment of the organization, but the commitment of the community too. And that commitment is there. The Delaware Valley cares about its women."

They are, she said, the backbone of the family.

"If you lose a woman, you lose the whole support system. A husband loses his wife. Children lose a mother. And it goes on and on. So we want to keep those mothers alive."

One pretzel at a time.