Margaret LeVecke visits restaurant workers, aids community causes

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Four grandchildren of the founder of the Carl's Jr. franchise are touring some of the midwestern and mid-southern restaurants on a goodwill tour.

The entourage arrived in the brightly painted Hardee's van at the Eldorado and Harrisburg Hardee's stores this morning with money for two special kids and for the Cars for Kids charity.

The four grandchildren, Jason, Margaret and Carl LeVecke and Marissa Briseno, owners of MJKL Enterprises, Guadalupe, Ariz., and grandchildren of Carl Karcher, have purchased 60 franchises in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri and Tennessee and are touring their new franchises and making donations in the communities, according to Matt Dutile of Gordon C. James Public Relations.

Margaret LeVecke, chief marketing officer of MJKL Enterprises said her grandfather began his career in restaurants with a single hot dog stand in 1941. Carl's Jr. with its trademark grinning star now has more than 1,000 restaurants after merging with Hardee's seven years ago.

"My grandfather told us over and over, 'Make sure you are part of the community. Make sure you give back what you can,'" LeVecke said.

The nine day tour gives the LeVecke family a chance to see the 60 stores in the midwest and south the company purchased in May and gain a snapshot of the communities that support them. This was the tour's second day.

"We are hitting every store. The biggest thing we want to show is we are a part of the community not just at the corporate level, but in our individual stores," LeVecke said.

While in Eldorado, Margaret LeVecke presented $500 checks to Kirsten Horton, 12, and Jack Bruce, 2, two Eldorado children fighting serious medical problems. Horton had her second heart transplant in June. Bruce is suffering from cancer in the soft tissue of his arm and lymph nodes and is facing extensive chemotherapy, radiation and surgery.

"We think this is a great story and we're here helping out," Dutile said.

LeVecke has experience with children that have serious medical conditions through her time on the foundation board of Phoenix, Ariz. Children's Hospital.

"Our grandfather taught us at a very early age to give back to the community," LeVecke said.

The tour is moving for LeVecke and the staff.

"It's good we can give back, but it's nothing. I hope next year we can donate more. The stories we are hearing from individuals are making a mark on my life and changing me," LeVecke said.

LeVecke said she was particularly charmed and moved by Horton.

"She has had a double heart transplant and she's smiling and laughing. She is so excited to swim and ride a bike. These are our heroes. These are our stars."

The Harrisburg charity was Cars for Kids with the motto of "raising money for God's special children."

Church told the crowd the club is working on restoring the Cars for Kids Southern Style Inc. Accelaquarter Raceway to hold regular fundraising drag races and host the annual Crusin' the Shawnee Car Show.

"Every year we put on a car show in Harrisburg and this one will be our ninth year. Last year we had 10 states represented and this is growing pretty good. I'd like to see it double from what it is right now," Church said.

The organization has several corporate sponsors all the way from California.

"We support local orphanages, rehabilitation centers and if a child is in need in the area we try to help because that's the future generation," Church said.

By the time the tour is done, the four grandchildren will have donated $50,000 to different charities and causes.

On the first day of the tour the group visited Centralia, Mount Vernon, Benton, Marion and Du Quoin.

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