- Chili's seeks to reach the $25 million mark of their 10-year, unprecedented $50 million pledge -

MEMPHIS, Tenn., Sept. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- St. Jude Children's Research Hospital(R) and Chili's Grill & Bar(R) announced the kick-off of their fifth annual Create-A-Pepper to Fight Childhood Cancer campaign. Now through Sept. 30, Chili's restaurants around the country and, for the first time, in Puerto Rico, are marking National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month by inviting people to get creative and raise funds to help St. Jude find cures and save children with cancer and other catastrophic childhood diseases.

Guests at participating Chili's restaurants can contribute to St. Jude in multiple ways:

    -- Make a donation to St. Jude and receive a Create-A-Pepper chili pepper
       coloring sheet designed for display at restaurants during the month.
    -- Purchase Create-A-Pepper T-shirts that can be customized with permanent
       marker.
    -- Buy a customized Create-A-Pepper key that can be cut for use at home or
       the office.
    -- Eat at Chili's on Monday, Sept. 29, when Chili's will donate 100
       percent of profits from participating restaurant sales to St. Jude.
    -- Visit http://www.createapepper.com and to make an online donation.

'Chili's guests have enthusiastically embraced the mission of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital over the years, and I'm confident that September's Create-A-Pepper campaign will once again inspire guests to support our lifesaving work,' said David L. McKee, chief operating officer of ALSAC, the fundraising organization of St. Jude. 'We are so grateful for Chili's partnership with St. Jude and for the company's commitment to our patients and their families.'

To date, Chili's has raised $18.7 million as part of a $50 million commitment to St. Jude over a 10-year period. Once completed, the donation will be the largest donation from a single partner campaign in St. Jude's history.

Last November, Chili's and St. Jude celebrated a significant milestone in their partnership, the opening of the Chili's Care Center. The seven-floor, 340,000-square foot facility combines 21st century imaging and treatment technology with St. Jude's almost half-century approach to medical research: put patients and scientists in the same building to fast-track the translation of new knowledge into better care for children around the nation. It is the first medical building on the St. Jude campus to bear the name of a corporate partner.

'The opening of the Chili's Care Center was a pivotal point in our 10-year commitment to St.