Papa John's Challenges NCAA(R) Basketball Fans to Dish out Donations to Support Coaches, Fight Cancer

LOUISVILLE, Ky., Mar 12, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- When it comes to cheering for their favorite schools during NCAA^(R) March Madness^(R), basketball fans are being asked to put their money where their mouth is - in the Papa John's "Coaches Code Challenge" to raise money for The V Foundation for Cancer Research and The Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund.

Beginning Tuesday, March 16 in partnership with the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) and the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), college basketball fans who enter their favorite coach's unique promo code while ordering online at www.papajohns.com, will automatically designate $1 of their Papa John's order to The V Foundation for Cancer Research and the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund in partnership with the NABC and WBCA. The special offer includes an XL two-topping pizza for $12, with $1 from each order going to fight cancer.

Throughout the Tournament, coaches and college athletic departments will be reminding fans of the challenge and their respective promo codes - all in a race to raise money and earn bragging rights as the school that best supported its basketball program's fight against cancer.

Papa John's, the Official Pizza of NCAA(R) March Madness(R), will keep a running score of the donations received on Papa John's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/papajohns and will distribute regular updates on the standings and total money raised.

"Everyone's an NCAA basketball fan this time of year and Papa John's is extremely proud to help the NABC and WBCA turn that passion toward a great cause," said Andrew Varga, chief marketing officer for Papa John's. "No matter how your team fares on the court, you can play an active role in helping your school win in the fight against cancer."

The challenge ends at midnight ET on April 6. The total donations received as part of the Coaches Code Challenge will be divided evenly between the two charities. March is one of the busiest months for Papa John's. The company expects to sell upwards of 10 million pizzas during the NCAA tournament, with sales ramping up as lower-seeded teams advance.

About Papa John's

Headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, Papa John's International, Inc. (NASDAQ: PZZA) is the world's third largest pizza company. For nine of the last 10 years, consumers have rated Papa John's No. 1 in customer satisfaction among all national pizza chains in the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). Papa John's also was honored by Restaurants & Institutions Magazine (R&I) with the 2009 Gold Award for Consumers' Choice in Chains in the pizza segment and was named 2007 Pizza Today Chain of the Year. For more information about the company or to order pizza online, visit Papa John's at www.papajohns.com.

About The V Foundation for Cancer Research

The V Foundation for Cancer Research was founded in 1993 by ESPN and the late Jim Valvano, legendary North Carolina State basketball coach and ESPN commentator. Since 1993, The Foundation has raised more than $90 million to fund cancer research grants nationwide. It awards 100 percent of all direct cash donations and net proceeds of events directly to cancer research and related programs. The Foundation, which has received seven consecutive top 4-star ratings from Charity Navigator, awards grants through a competitive awards process strictly supervised by a Scientific Advisory Board. For more information on The V Foundation or to make a donation, please visit www.jimmyv.org.

About the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund

The Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund(R) is a 501 c(3) charitable organization committed to being a part of finding an answer in the fight against women's cancers through raising money for scientific research, assisting the underserved and unifying people for a common cause. Donations can be made at www.JimmyV.org or by calling 1-800-4JimmyV. All donations are tax deductible. For more information, visit www.wbca.org/kayyowwbcacancerfund.asp.

About the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC)

Located in Kansas City, Missouri, the NABC was founded in 1927 by Forrest "Phog" Allen, the legendary basketball coach at the University of Kansas. Allen, a student of James Naismith, the inventor of basketball, organized coaches into this collective group to serve as Guardians of the Game. The NABC currently claims nearly 5,000 members consisting primarily of university and college men's basketball coaches. All members of the NABC are expected to uphold the core values of being a Guardian of the Game by bringing attention to the positive aspects of the sport of basketball and the role coaches play in the academic and athletic lives of today's student-athletes. The four core values of being a Guardian of the Game are advocacy, leadership, service and education. Additional information about the NABC, its programs and membership, can be found at www.nabc.com.

About the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA)

Founded in 1981, the WBCA promotes women's basketball by unifying coaches at all levels to develop a reputable identity for the sport and to foster and promote the development of the game as a sport for women and girls. For additional information about the WBCA, please visit wbca.org.

SOURCE: Papa John's International, Inc.

Papa John's International, Inc.
Tish Muldoon, 502-261-4987
Senior Director, Corporate Communications
tish_muldoon@papajohns.com