Celebration to Honor Spartanburg School District Three’s Keith Nix Will Be Held on Friday, April 16

COWPENS, S.C. (April 14, 2010) – Having been a part of South Carolina communities for more than 30 years and currently celebrating its heritage in the state with its Cruisin’ S.C. promotion, Bojangles’ is honoring one of the state’s greatest resources: its teachers. In partnership with South Carolina Future Minds, Bojangles’ is sponsoring this year’s Teacher of the Year Program.

“Everyone has a teacher they can thank for at least one thing they’ve achieved in life. By partnering with South Carolina Future Minds’ Teacher of the Year Program, Bojangles’ is able to thank some of the state’s best teachers for all that they do. This program gives us the chance to honor the many great achievements these 85 teachers have made in shaping the future of South Carolina’s children” said Randy Kibler, president and CEO of Bojangles’.

Throughout the state, Bojangles’ is hosting parties at more than 50 schools in honor of Teachers of the Year. One of these parties will be held on Friday, April 16 at 7 a.m. at Cowpens Middle School to honor Spartanburg School District Three’s Teacher of the Year Keith Nix. Nix has been teaching for 13 years and is currently an 8th grade science teacher.

“I believe that developing a personal relationship with my students helps me connect with them. This is important because when students know their teachers care about them, they relate better to the teacher and that teacher’s subject,” said Keith Nix, Teacher of the Year for Spartanburg School District Three. “I stay in touch with my students and draw inspiration from their successes throughout the years.”

Keith Nix’s students joined Bojangles’ in honoring their teacher. Each student in Nis’s class submitted a short essay about why their teacher should be named the statewide Teacher of the Year. Bojangles’ rewarded all the children who submitted essays with a gift card, and South Carolina Future Minds will feature a quote from one student’s essay in the program for the Teacher of the Year banquet in Columbia in April, when the statewide Teacher of the Year will be announced.

“Mr. Nix is an outstanding teacher and person. Every day is like an adventure walking into his classroom,” wrote Ka-Toya, one of Mr. Nix’s students.

Visit www.CruisinSC.com to learn more about South Carolina’s Teachers of the Year and Bojangles’ Crusin’ S.C. tour, including upcoming tour stops and online registration to win one of 100 Bahamas cruises. One cruise winner will be selected from each South Carolina location.

About Bojangles’

Founded in 1977 in Charlotte, N.C., Bojangles' Restaurants Inc. serves only the highest quality and most flavorful food to its loyal customers. Bojangles' kitchens prepare all their proprietary menu items from scratch. A special blend of seasonings gives the food its unique Bojangles' flavor. The restaurants core menu features Bojangles’ Cajun Spiced chicken, fresh, made-from-scratch buttermilk biscuits and legendary iced tea steeped the old-fashioned way. The breakfast menu offers biscuit sandwiches such as Cajun Filet, seasoned sausage, steak, country ham, and egg and cheese biscuits. Bojangles’ also features unique fixin’s such as Dirty Rice™, Cajun Pintos™ and Seasoned Fries. These items have allowed Bojangles’ to corner the market on flavor. Bojangles’ customers have come to expect great tasting food, and we are dedicated to exceeding their expectations at breakfast, lunch and dinner. Our strong performance in all three day parts is what sets Bojangles’ apart from all other restaurants. First franchised in 1978, Bojangles' boasts more than 465 total locations throughout the southeast. Bojangles’ has 299 franchised and 166 company operated locations. By the end of 2010, Bojangles' will have approximately 500 locations open. For more information, please visit www.bojangles.com.

About South Carolina Future Minds

Since 1995 South Carolina Future Minds has focused on hosting South Carolina’s nationally recognized Teacher of the Year program. Guided by the vision of state Superintendent of Education Jim Rex, the foundation has recently expanded its role to serve as the main charitable vehicle for those wishing to improve the lives of the 700,000 children in South Carolina’s public schools. South Carolina Future Minds exists for the sole purpose of stimulating educational excellence in the state of South Carolina. The foundation accomplishes this by organizing efforts to recruit, retain and support great teachers, serving as a resource and initiation for other local education foundations supporting public schools in South Carolina and operating as the conduit for private gifts designed to support projects endorsed by the state Department of Education.

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Elizabeth J. Baker
Erwin-Penland
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864-672-3875
elizabeth.baker@erwinpenland.com