One Bakersfield resident decided to make a difference, and he did it just by eating some lunch.
“I was here in December, and I was sitting down eating a salad with some buddies, and I saw a news article about a gentleman in Pennsylvania, I think his name was Matthew Stoudt,” Bakersfield resident, Ben Boyles said. “He ate at Chick-fil-A 132 days in a row, beating out a San Diego man of 115 days.”
That’s how it all started: Chick-fil-A regular, Boyles was eating a salad similar to this one, and would be eating it many times from January 4 through June 30th, except Sundays when the restaurant was closed.
“There were a couple times I did come twice in one day, maybe there were one or two days where I came three times in one day,” Boyles said.
It wasn’t just a craving for his favorite Spicy Southwest Salad that made him accept the challenge of surpassing that man’s record.
“He (Boyles) was in the restaurant at one point and he asked me, what do you think about this, when we break this record, or do whatever it is he was doing, that if he would make a charitable contribution to a nonprofit here in Bakersfield and would I be able to match it, and together we could make a difference in the community,” Chick-fil-A's Bakersfield Franchise Owner, Troy Hess said.
So, Hess got on board, coming up with $100 daily between the two of them. On Saturday, after 153 days, they presented a check of $15,300 to Victory Family Services.
“I got with Troy and he was a fan of this charity. I love kids, and I have kids,” Boyles said. “Foster youth is very important, so we wanted to assist them as much as we could.”
That money will go toward the youth that have been placed in protective custody, such as treating them to an amusement park or something special for back-to-school season,” according to Foster Family Agency Administrator at Victory Family Services, Petra Gil-Vigie.
“Your breath is taken away,” Gil-Vigie said. “This is such a blessing to receive for our agency.”
Boyles encourages other people to do something similar and give back to their community.
