Adoption and the Legacy of Dave Thomas

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By Kristyn Drysdale

Published:
1-August-2005

When the burger business was considered all tapped out and the topic of adoption was spoken only in quiet corners when no one else was around, Dave Thomas had a refreshing take on both subjects that he would successfully share with the world.

What was Dave Thomas' appeal? His Wendy's commercials showed a pretty ordinary man with a cherub face selling us good old fashion hamburgers. Behind this ordinary facade was a pretty extraordinary man who could quietly get his point across.

Dave began as a great businessman with Colonel Sanders' KFC (formerly Kentucky Fried Chicken) before launching his own eating place with his daughter's name called Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburgers Restaurant.

Not long after stepping out on his own, his restaurant quickly spread into a familiar franchise, worthy of McDonalds to notice.

An adoptee himself, Dave Thomas became a self-appointed spokesperson for adoption. In 1990, Dave was asked by President George Bush to head a national initiative entitled "Adoption Works-For Everyone" that promoted the adoption of the approximately 150,000 children in foster care. In 1992, he created the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, a not-for-profit corporation.

This foundation has for its purpose to increase the awareness of adoption and to support model adoption programs. The vision of this worthwhile and unique foundation is that "every child will have a permanent home and a loving family." The main focus of the foundation is to promote the cause of children in foster care who are in need of a permanent home. Wendy’s Restaurant chain remains actively involved in the foundation.

Thomas took the hands-on approach to seeing his Foundation get off the ground during the starting phase. He went out to campaign to the public, federal legislation and corporate policies about issues concerning children in foster care and the pitfalls of the adoption system. Thomas' main objective was to see families with adopted children receive financial provisions, similar to the benefits that biological parents and their children can eligibly collect. His efforts were not in vain - in 1993, grants were given to Thomas' foundation and the American Council on Adoptive Children was also given a grant to pair 200 foster care children with parents seeking to adopt.

Since Dave Thomas’ passing, the Foundation and the Wendy’s restaurant chain have continued a partnership that has raised a total of $20 million for the Foundation and local adoption efforts since the outset. Together, they sponsored a series of programs about adoption on the Hallmark Channel. Hallmark Cards entered into the venture by designing and marketing adoption Christmas ornaments. The proceeds from these ornaments were donated to the Foundation. The largest grossing fundraiser for the Foundation is the Wendy’s Three-Tour Golf Challenge. This event raises over $2 million dollars each year.

The adoption cause and Wendy's Restaurant chain are permanently linked. Even at the local level, Wendy's workers and franchises dream up ways to market this drive through the restaurant. Not surprisingly, a not-for-profit incentive and the entrepreneurial way of life are mixtures that make great things happen.

Dave Thomas died on January 8, 2002; he has affectionately been called "the patron saint of adoption." His legacy continues through the Foundation that he established.

Copyright 2005 Kristyn Drysdale. All rights reserved.
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Kristyn Drysdale is the owner and operator of Atlc adoption,
a top online adoption site. For further details please
visit her article archive at:
http://www.atlcadoption.com/