Chicken Jam benefits LSU Health cancer research

At the first annual Chicken Jam, an Al Copeland Foundation (ACF) event benefiting research at LSU Health New Orleans' Stanley S. Scott Cancer Center, Al Copeland, Jr. announced that their 9-day campaign exceeded its fundraising goal by nearly three times.

The fundraising goal of the short campaign was $35,000. The purpose of the funding was to support a new LSU Health New Orleans clinical trial for Merkel Cell Carcinoma, the cancer that took the life of Al Copeland, Sr.

The campaign kicked off on June 28, Al Copeland Day. All patrons of Copeland family restaurants who donated $5 to ACF received a $10 gift certificate to Copeland’s of New Orleans or Cheesecake Bistro by Copeland’s.

It was all leading up to July 6 and the inaugural Chicken Jam, an event for the whole family with music from Bag of Donuts, a kids area, and plenty of hot, spicy fried chicken.

Al Copeland, Jr., accompanied by Liz Copeland and the mascot, was delighted to inform the considerable crowd that the amount raised to that point was $90,000, so he decided to round off the check to $100,000--their latest donation to LSU Health New Orleans.

The ACF and LSU Health New Orleans teamed up to form the Al Copeland Foundation-LSU Health Sciences Center Partnership in Viruses, Cancer and Immunotherapy to work toward a cure for the cancer that took Al Copeland, Sr.'s life.

The date was carefully chosen for Chicken Jam. July 6 is National Fried Chicken Day, a day set aside to appricate this southern staple. It was only fitting that the family of the "Chicken King", Al Copeland, Sr., founder of Popeye's Fried Chicken, celebrated it, as only the Copelands can.

A huge check wasn't the only thing Al Copeland, Jr., gave Dr. Augusto Ochoa, Director of LSU Health New Orleans' Stanley S. Scott Cancer Center that night. He took Dr. Ochoa back in the kitchen for a personal lesson on the Popeye's way to fry chicken!