Costa Enterprises McDonald’s served 9,056 free combo meals to medical workers as a part of their “Free Meals for Heroes” initiative which launched on Wednesday, March 18, 2020 and ended on Tuesday, March 31, 2020.

Costa Enterprises McDonald’s created the initiative as a way to say “thank you” to all of the men and women who have been dedicating their time and putting themselves at risk to work in their medical professions during this global pandemic. While most of the population is self-quarantining or practicing social-distancing, hospital workers have been continuing to work diligently and operating normal and extended hours. The original post announcing the initiative was shared over 1,600 times and garnered 273 comments. It reached over 100,000 people nationwide and was covered by Fox News.

The offer was originally created with hospital workers in mind. However, after the initial announcement, the Costa family decided to expand the offer to all professionals in the medical field including hospice nurses, pharmacists, nursing home employees, and other various healthcare workers. The offer was valid for one free combo meal of choice per customer that presented a valid hospital ID badge or medical ID per day. Over the course of two weeks, a total of 9,056 meals were served from the 24 Costa Family McDonald’s locations in the Southeast. Costa Family McDonald’s locations include Bluewater Bay, Niceville, all Navarre locations, Mossy Head, all Crestview locations, Marianna I-10, Marianna Lafayette, Cottondale, Bonifay, Chipley, DeFuniak Springs, Harrison, Long Beach, Long Beach Walmart, Surfside, Lynn Haven, Blountstown, Callaway Walmart, Port St. Joe, Pier Park, and 23rd Street in Panama City, Fla.

This effort was created as part of Costa Enterprises’ “Costa Cares” program, whose mission is to provide outstanding community service through various fundraising efforts such as supporting local schools, partnering with churches, involvement in international and national charities, and offering any help or services that the community may need. To learn more about Costa Enterprises McDonald’s community efforts, visit https://costamcd.com. To stay up to date on upcoming offers, follow Costa Enterprises McDonald’s on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.