Dave Thomas loved two things above all else, food and people. He started Wendy's because he wanted a restaurant where people can get great tasting food, made fresh the way the customers want it and served by friendly people. Everyday.

Dave built his dream on five simple values he learned from his Grandma Minnie: Quality, Teamwork, Respect, Doing the Right Thing and of course Giving Back. The recipe served him well, along with the millions he inspired.

While his popularity as a TV spokesman helped sell hamburgers, Dave used it to bring national awareness to a cause close to his heart: adoption. Adopted as an infant, Dave believed every child deserves a permanent loving home. As a national advocate for adoption, Dave testified before Congress, starred in numerous public service announcements and created the annual, televised celebrity event, "A Home for the Holidays."

Dave's passion led to the creation of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, which is dedicated to dramatically increasing the number of foster care adoptions in North America. And it has! For more information visit www.davethomasfoundation.org.

According to Dave, "If just one child gets adopted, all of our work has been worth it."