JACKSON, Miss. – Just imagine yourself walking into a fast food restaurant to order chicken, and instantly, the restaurant serves you $1,000 in cash. Sound unbelievable?
Unbelievable or not, that is exactly what happened to Nicole Edwards around 1 p.m., Thursday, June 18, at Church’s Chicken No. 5297, located at 3061 Terry Road in South Jackson.
“Oh, this feels great! This feels so good! Oh, my God!” expressed Edwards, after being physically handed 10 – $100 bills from Church’s Chicken Sr. Vice President/People Officer Bunny Williams as part of the company’s Random Acts of Goodness (RAG) campaign.
As Edwards was ordering, Williams, who was behind he counter with the staff, stepped forward and asked for her name. Then, the People Officer said: “Nicole Edwards, Church’s Chicken wants to add more comfort to your food and today, the City of Jackson has proclaimed it Random Acts of Goodness Day. Hopefully, $1,000 will make an impact on you and your family’s life.”
She instructed Edwards (who still appeared somewhat bewildered) to hold out her hand. Williams began to count, “100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900, 1,000 dollars!”
Edwards said she had heard part of the promotion on the radio. “But I wasn’t paying it any attention,” she said. “I went to the store to buy some pampers and got back in the car. They [pointing to her three children] said they were hungry.” So, she took them to the Terry Road Church’s to eat.
Edwards was shopping for diapers because she is expecting a baby around July 4. “Yes, we can buy a lot of pampers now,” she said gleefully.
According to published information, Church’s Chicken was founded in San Antonio, Texas in 1952. It has earned a “noteworthy reputation” as a corporate leader in charitable causes and giving back to the community in 1,600 locations in the United States and 21 countries around the world. Mike Mann, another Church’s official, said they were heading to New Orleans after their Jackson stop.
Public Information Officer Nash Nunnery, representing the City of Jackson Interim Mayor Leslie McLemore, was on hand to present a proclamation to the corporation for bringing the giveaway to Jackson.
“We commend the Church’s Chicken “Random Acts of Goodness” campaign, and remind citizens that simple day-to-day random acts of goodness to our fellow man will enable our community to become a kinder, safer and more secure environment in which to live, work and play,” Nunnery said before a crowded store of customers and the media.
Williams, who travels across the country making these random presentations, had this to say about the experience:
“Words cannot describe how uplifting it is to give back to a community that you’ve done business in for decades. We’re recognizing the turbulent times we are facing right now, the unemployment rate. The cornerstones of our existence are crumbling. For us to be in a position to give back to a community that has been there for us all these years is absolutely wonderful.”
After the thrill of being handed $1,000 cash, being interviewed live by radio personality Alice Marie of 99.7 WJMI JAMS, being photographed and videotaped by the media, Edwards, a wife and mother of three children with another one due July 4, remained in the store to feed her children.
“I probably would have gotten out of there as fast as I could with that kind of money in my pocket,” said area citizen Mona Bates after hearing about Edwards’ fortune later.
When asked about the significance of giving the recipients cash instead of a check, Williams replied: “Our customers come to us every day with cash. It’s our turn to give that cash back to them.”
As Edwards sat with her children, she told officials and others: “I haven’t worked since December, and my husband is trying to do all of this by himself [motioning toward their children], car note, the house payment and stuff. I know he’s going to appreciate this when I get home. It’s right on time.”
Speaking of her husband, The Mississippi Link reached him by phone late Thursday afternoon for his reaction. “A friend of mine called me at work and said, ‘Man, what’s your wife doing on the radio?’” Nathaniel Edwards said. He said he replied, ‘I don’t know; she was supposed to be shopping.’
Nathaniel Edwards said his wife soon called and told him what happened. “It’s a big help. We had just paid all our bills and I told my wife, ‘What are we going to do about money for the weekend?’ It’s been rough.”
He also shared that his father is in the hospital and they were wondering what to do about a gift for him for Father’s Day. The local bank employee and founder of a gospel band called Nothing But Christ (NBC) expressed that what happened to them has nothing to do with luck. “It’s nothing but a blessing,” he said.
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