OKLAHOMA CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

SONIC^® Drive-In (NASDAQ: SONC), a longtime supporter of public school teachers through its philanthropic initiative Limeades for Learning^®, today launches the third-annual #ThanksTeach social media campaign to recognize, celebrate and reward teachers throughout May in honor of Teacher Appreciation Month. All month, SONIC is sharing inspiring stories of real teachers making a difference in the classroom, and encourages others to join in and say thank you to important teachers in their lives by sharing the hashtag #ThanksTeach. To top it all off, SONIC is donating $1 million to public school teachers in SONIC markets from coast to coast.

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“Everyone has a teacher who has done something – big or small – to impact their lives for the better, whether it was one of your teachers or the teacher of a child in your life,” said Christi Woodworth, vice president of public relations for SONIC. “Teachers play such a critical role in developing our children, but spend nearly $500 a year out of their own pockets to buy the supplies they need to do their jobs effectively. That’s why we started Limeades for Learning^® and why we’re saying #ThanksTeach by giving another $1 million to teachers for Teacher Appreciation Month.”

Throughout the month of May, SONIC will celebrate these unsung heroes across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube by sharing the stories of real public school teachers using the hashtag #ThanksTeach and encouraging others to do the same. SONIC also invites Facebook fans to Smile to Say #ThanksTeach via a Facebook augmented reality (AR) application that springs to life when the user smiles into the camera on their mobile phone, creating a video or photo that can be easily shared.

Since 2009, SONIC has supported and celebrated public school teachers through Limeades for Learning in partnership with DonorsChoose.org to provide teachers with essential materials and supplies needed for their classrooms. To date, SONIC has donated more than $9.7 million in financial grants to public school teachers, funding more than 18,983 classroom projects and benefiting more than 569,490 students. This month, SONIC is donating $1 million to public school teachers in SONIC markets who have requested to be eligible for SONIC funding.

To learn more about Limeades for Learning and #ThanksTeach, visit LimeadesforLearning.com and explore public school teacher projects in your community.

About SONIC, America's Drive-In

SONIC, America's Drive-In is the nation's largest drive-in restaurant chain serving approximately 3 million customers every day. Nearly 94 percent of SONIC's 3,500 drive-in locations are owned and operated by local business men and women. For 65 years, SONIC has delighted guests with signature menu items, 1.3 million drink combinations and friendly service by iconic Carhops. Since the 2009 launch of SONIC's Limeades for Learning philanthropic campaign in partnership with DonorsChoose.org, SONIC has donated $9.7 million to public school teachers nationwide to fund essential learning materials and innovative teaching resources to inspire creativity and learning in their students. To learn more about Sonic Corp. (NASDAQ/NM: SONC), please visit sonicdrivein.com and please visit or follow us on Facebook and Twitter. To learn more about SONIC's Limeades for Learning initiative, please visit LimeadesforLearning.com.

About DonorsChoose.org

Founded in 2000 by a Bronx history teacher, DonorsChoose.org has raised $683,614,142 for America's classrooms. Teachers come to DonorsChoose.org to request the materials and experiences they need most for their classrooms, and donors give to the projects that inspire them. To date, 3,110,293 people and partners have funded 1,153,551 projects on the site, reaching 27,834,415 students and making DonorsChoose.org the leading platform for supporting U.S. public schools. DonorsChoose.org is the only crowdfunding platform that vets each request, delivers materials directly to schools, and captures the impact of every funded project with photos, thank yous, and a cost report showing how each dollar was spent. In 2014, DonorsChoose.org made the top 10 of Fast Company's list of the World's Most Innovative Companies, the first time a charity has received such recognition.

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