Houston Restaurants to Support Texas Children's Hospital

Dairy Queen restaurants in Texas are serving up smiles in a special initiative for local Texas kids and Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. Spoons for Smiles is set for Saturday, October 21 at participating DQ restaurants in Texas. All it takes is DQ Fans ordering and enjoying a Blizzard® Treat in Houston with proceeds benefiting Texas Children's Hospital.

Here’s how it works: 

• Fans purchase their favorite Blizzard® Treat (any size or flavor) at a participating DQ restaurant in Texas.
• $1 is donated by Texas Dairy Queen Operators’ Council to the Children’s Miracle Network Hospital® for each Blizzard® Treat purchased (Up to $50,000 will be donated to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals).

“We love to serve up smiles each day to fans of all ages at DQ restaurants in Texas,” said Lou Romanus, CEO of Texas Dairy Queen Operators’ Council. “DQ’s big red spoon is synonymous with making people smile when they enjoy a Blizzard Treat. Spoons for Smiles is a one-day opportunity for Texans to make a difference in the lives of children who appreciate a friendly smile and the incredible care received at one of the 16 member children’s hospitals in Texas.” 

The DQ Fall Blizzard Treat menu also includes: 

-       Snickerdoodle Cookie Dough Blizzard Treat

-       Caramel Fudge Cheesecake Blizzard Treat

-       REESE’S® Peanut Butter Cup Pie Blizzard Treat

-       Choco Dipped Strawberry Blizzard Treat

-       New! Royal REESE’s® Fluffernutter Blizzard Treat

Texas native Anderson and his family turned to the local member hospital, El Paso Children’s Hospital in El Paso, TX for his diagnosis and care. Anderson was three years old when he was diagnosed with Chiari malformation, a malformation of the brain tissue that causes pressure on the spine and subsequent symptoms including headaches and loss of balance and coordination. Within five days, Anderson was taken into surgery. Within two weeks of recovering from his surgery, Anderson rode a scooter for the first time. He crossed a balance beam at the park. He gave the tightest hugs. He started putting on weight and growing, meeting the typical milestone for children his age. Funds raised through Children’s Miracle Network Hospital provide for healthcare, services, and tools like those that allow for endoscopic procedures to be less invasive, have better outcomes and shorten the length of a hospital stay. 

Spoons for Smiles is a delicious and easy way to provide critical funds for lifesaving equipment and pediatric healthcare resources to local member hospitals to help kids like Anderson throughout Texas. 

For more than 75 years, Texans have been drawn to DQ restaurants for the unique, Texas-centric menu featuring items that can’t be enjoyed anywhere outside of Texas. There’s the Dude® CLASSIC Chick’n Fried Steak Sandwich and the Hungr-Buster, the BeltBuster® with two quarter-pound patties, and the truly awesome Triple-Buster®.

Fans can order their favorite cravings on the DQ Texas mobile app for the “Best Treats & Eats in Texas” while earning rewards and learning about great deals. New users receive a free Blizzard Treat (any size) or a Hungr-Buster® just for signing up.

About Texas Dairy Queen Operators’ Council 
There are few brands as iconic as the DQ brand. Innovative DQ treats and eats, along with the unique DQ restaurant concepts, have positioned DQ restaurants in Texas as a leader in the quick service restaurant industry. The Texas Dairy Queen Operators' Council is a nonprofit organization made up of DQ franchisees operating in Texas. The Council develops the advertising and marketing program for DQ franchisees in Texas and controls the Texas Country Foods menu along with managing supply/distribution for the nearly 600 DQ restaurants in Texas. The DQ restaurants in Texas are franchised by American Dairy Queen Corporation and the DQ franchise system includes approximately 7,000 franchised locations in the United States, Canada, and more than 20 other countries, including the nearly 600 DQ restaurants in Texas. 

For more information about the Texas Dairy Queen Operators’ Council, visit dqtexas.com or follow us on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook.

About Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals

Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals was founded more than 40 years ago with the vision to Change Kids’ Health, Change the Future. The organization has raised over $8.5 billion for 170 children’s hospitals by empowering and engaging with local communities and businesses. All donations benefit local member hospitals to fund what’s needed most, like critical life-saving treatments and healthcare services, innovative research, vital pediatric medical equipment, child life services that put kids’ and families’ minds at ease during difficult hospital stays, and financial assistance for families who could not otherwise afford these health services. 

Together, we can change kids’ health. Together, we can change the future. To learn about Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and your local member children’s hospital, visit cmnhospitals.org.