Mike's six-year-old daughter, Makenna, doesn't let her disease keep her from being a typical kid. She enjoys playing basketball, video games and fighting with her brother, Billy, 7. But Makenna must also undergo daily therapy treatments and medications atypical of her friends and first-grade classmates.

Makenna is this year's ambassador for the Cystic Fibrosis Association of North Dakota (CFAND), a nonprofit organization that has benefited from a fundraising idea originated by her dad - first at the Taco John's stores in North Dakota and western Minnesota, and now throughout most of the chain's 402 Mexican quick-serve restaurants in 24 states.

Nationally, Taco John's restaurants have raised more than $100,000 with the annual Nachos Navidad® promotion first instituted by the organization system-wide in 1999. Participating Taco John's franchises contribute a portion of each sale of their seasonal Nachos Navidad® to a charity, including the American Cancer Society, American Diabetes Association, the Salvation Army and other local charities.

Over the past five years, Taco John's restaurants in North Dakota and western Minnesota have raised $17,800 for CFAND alone.

Nachos Navidad® is a nacho dish prepared with red- and green-colored nacho chips to get in the holiday spirit. It is available at all Taco John's locations from about mid-November through New Year's Day.

Taco John's implemented the fundraising program nationally after Sartwell addressed the national Taco John's franchisee convention.

"It was no surprise that Taco John's International ran with the program. People throughout the franchise thought it was a good idea and the Nachos Navidad® charitable tie-in quickly took on a life of its own." Sartwell said. "It's really in the spirit of Taco John's - the history and philosophy of the company. Service to our customers and our communities is what we're all about."

Sartwell says the introduction of Nachos Navidad® gave Taco John's the opportunity to tie fundraising for a charity into the Christmas time of year. In its advertising for Nachos Navidad®, Taco John's markets not only the product, but also the charitable contribution.

"It's a win-win situation - an example of marketing at its best," Sartwell says. "We took a product we wanted to introduce to our customers and helped out charitable organizations at the same time. We feel good and our customers feel good about it, too. We have customers who come in and say they want to help and leave a quarter or a dollar on the counter."

Prompted by customers, Taco John's International has made collection boxes available to all of its stores. Beginning this year, Sartwell plans to leave the collection boxes on his store counters year-round. The donations will continue to go to CFAND, which helps individuals and families cover medical costs not covered by insurance, including medications, medical equipment and lung transplant costs.

Brian Dixon, vice president for marketing for Taco John's International, said, "Our franchise owners are good citizens of their communities and give back in many ways. Mike Sartwell has helped lead Taco John's in that charge by reminding us that it doesn't take a lot of effort to help others."

Taco John's was formed in Cheyenne, Wyoming, in 1968 and opened its first store in 1969.  2004 will mark the 35^th anniversary celebration for the company.

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