Chattanooga — On behalf of Hardee’s employees whose homes and families have been affected by the recent storm devastation, The George R. Johnson Family Foundation has donated $100,000 to the Greater Chattanooga Area Chapter Red Cross to help shelter, feed, and support those in the Greater Chattanooga area, including Northwest Georgia, and Bradley, Monroe and Polk counties.

Julia Scoggins, president of J& S Restaurants Inc. the parent company that runs the local Hardees restaurants, said, “Our company, J&S Restaurants, lost one of our Hardee’s restaurants to the tornado that raged through Ringgold, Ga., on Wednesday night, April 27. Due to the quick thinking of our people, no one was injured. We had several other Hardee’s in the area with physical damage. And while this loss has been stressful, we can only imagine the heartache and grief that so many are suffering due to lost homes, or lost loved ones.

“We commend all those in Northwest Georgia and Southeast Tennessee who have worked long hours to aid those who have suffered loss, and to those volunteers who have given freely of their time and labor to help restore some sense of security. We also appreciate all our Hardee’s employees who have stepped up in the face of tragedy and gone the extra mile to serve our guests with compassion and urgency.

“On behalf of our J&S Hardee’s employees, through our Johnson Family Foundation, we would like to make a donation the American Red Cross chapters that serve the communities which were so tragically impacted by the storm,” Scoggins said.

In its 44th year of business, the Chattanooga area’s largest Hardee’s franchisee is “fortunate to be able to support a family foundation to help others,” said Scoggins.

“We are honored to be able to give back to our community during these times of need” said Scoggins.

The George R. Johnson Family Foundation was established in 2000 by George Johnson, an entrepreneur whose company Franco Inc. owned and operated Hardee’s restaurants in East Tennessee and Northwest Georgia. The mission of the George R. Johnson Family Foundation is to improve the quality of life in the communities it serves by supporting programs which improve the education, health or the general welfare of the citizens in those communities.

The check was presented to Barbara Alexander, chief executive officer of the Greater Chattanooga Area Chapter Red Cross at the Hardee’s in Ooltewah, not far from the devastation caused by the F4 tornadoes that struck the area.

“Funding for our disaster relief efforts is desperately needed” said Alexander. “We are truly grateful for the gift that the George R. Johnson Family Foundation has given to the community by donating to the Greater Chattanooga Area Red Cross.”

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; teaches lifesaving skills; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families.

The Red Cross is a charitable organization — not a government agency — and depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. In the rare case that donations exceed the cost of a specific disaster response, donations will be used to prepare for and respond to disasters that are occurring simultaneously today or that we know will happen in the days to come.