ROSEMEAD, Calif., June 2, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Panda Express, America's favorite Chinese restaurant, is hosting its inaugural Family Day on June 8 to celebrate families and honor the restaurant's family-owned heritage by helping families in America who struggle with hunger.



The Family Day celebration and fundraising event will benefit Feeding America and its nationwide network of local food banks, which will receive 10 percent of the day's sales from Panda's 1,750 participating locations plus a matching donation from restaurant founders and co-CEOs, Andrew and Peggy Cherng. Panda expects the combined donation to be $1 million.



"As one of America's largest family-owned restaurant companies, Panda has been blessed beyond our wildest dreams. Our family has always believed that good fortune is meant to be shared," said Peggy Cherng, founder and Co-CEO. "The heart of Family Day is about families coming together to help families in need within our communities. By partnering with Feeding America and with the help of our Panda family we are working to help more families get the food they need."



One in six people in America struggle with hunger at some point during the year, according to the USDA. And, Feeding America reports that summer brings its own unique challenges, especially for children. There are nearly 22 million children who rely on free and reduced price meals during the school year and a majority of those children, almost 18 million, don't have access to those same meals during the summer months when school is out.



"We are pleased to welcome Panda Express as one of our newest partners in the mission to fight hunger," said Matt Knott, president of Feeding America. "As a family-owned company itself, Panda Express has shown a commitment to help families and communities in need, and we look forward to working with them to address the challenges food-insecure families face across the country."



Guests can contribute to Family Day on June 8th by visiting any of Panda Express's 1,750 participating locations or by ordering online at www.PandaExpress.com/Order or through Panda Express's mobile app.



About Panda Express

Panda Express, America's favorite Chinese restaurant, is best known for its wide variety of original recipes including its famous Original Orange Chicken, SweetFire Chicken Breast®, award-winning Honey Walnut Shrimp™ and Shanghai Angus Steak™. Founded in 1983 and now with almost 1,800 locations throughout the U.S., Puerto Rico, Guam, Canada, Mexico, Dubai and Korea, Panda Express is part of the family owned and operated Panda Restaurant Group, the world leader in Asian dining experiences that also includes Panda Inn and Hibachi-San. For more information, visit www.pandaexpress.com, find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.



About Feeding America

Feeding America is the nationwide network of 200 food banks that leads the fight against hunger in the United States. Together, we provide food to more than 46 million people through 60,000 food pantries and meal programs in communities across America. Feeding America also supports programs that improve food security among the people we serve; educates the public about the problem of hunger; and advocates for legislation that protects people from going hungry. Individuals, charities, businesses and government all have a role in ending hunger. Donate. Volunteer. Advocate. Educate. Together we can solve hunger. Visit www.feedingamerica.org, find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.



Photos accompanying this release are available at:

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Thien Ho (626) 372-8478,