Checkers and Rally’s helping Ben Davis prom celebration with free food, after-party

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Boutonnière? Check. 

Cufflinks? Check. 

Fries and chicken tenders?

Coming right up.

Checkers & Rally’s is getting Ben Davis High School promgoers right.

The burger chain is bringing its trailer to the May 10 celebration to dish up free seasoned fries and chicken tenders.

The Fry Love Express actually will be at the prom after-party, from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. outside of Roller City rink, 6445 W. Washington. It’s setting up picnic tables, lawn games and music and a photo booth as part of the fun.

Tampa, Florida-based Checkers & Rally’s, which operates Checkers and Rally’s brands, began using the trailer for pop-ups in 2020. The Fry Love Express does 200 to 250 community pop-ups a year, serving free fries and sometimes chicken tenders. 

It’s been part of a wedding of a pair of Checkers fans who got engaged at a Checkers restaurant, set up at their outdoor reception to serve guests fries and tenders. The company presented the bride with a bouquet made with tenders.

The partnerships occasionally come with monetary donations, benefiting schools, libraries and service organizations.

“It’s turned into really this philanthropic initiative where we try to spread joy and give back wherever we go,” said Erica Hernandez, a field marketing manager who coordinates the Fry Love Express program.

Sandwiched between a May 9 afternoon stop at a supermarket in Arkansas and a May 13 midday hospital appreciation week event in Missouri, the Ben Davis event is the trailer’s second high school prom appearance, after serving a Kentucky high school for prom last year.

“We had so much fun that we wanted to find another prom to go to and serve free fries at and maybe give back if they needed us to. And it just worked out in the area that we were going to be in the area,” she said. “We saw that they were having their prom, so we reached out to them.

“That’s typically how we find events. We just scout them out; find them online or by word of mouth and then reach out and see if we can partner.”

Those wanting to connect with the program can contact [email protected].

Anyone coming across the trailer at an event is welcome to free fries.

Contact IndyStar reporter Cheryl V. Jackson at [email protected] or 317-444-6264. Follow her on X.com:@cherylvjackson or Bluesky: @cherylvjackson.bsky.social.