KFC has announced that to honor the memory of Colonel Sanders on his one hundred and twenty-eighth birthday, it will be donating $11,000 to the college fund of the first baby born on September 9 that is named after the fast-food chain’s founder. This bizarre real-life Wonka-esque contest is very real and one lucky child will have a nice little chunk of change in their college fund, so long as their parents are okay with the name ‘Harland,’ the first name of the iconic Colonel, who was born on September 9, 1890.
Beginning on September 9, parents will be able to enter their little baby Harland’s information, including date, time of birth, and contact information, at www.kfc.com/babyharland. The page will be live for 30 days, so parents won’t be forced to ignore their newborn on the day of the actual birth in the hopes of winning some of that sweet sweet KFC college money. Once the contest has ended, KFC will vet each entry to find which ‘Harland’ is the true chosen one.
Sanders has long been the face of the franchise, to the point where several big-name celebrities have played the character in a recent ad campaign, including Jim Gaffigan, Norm Macdonald, and Reba McEntire. But why $11,000? According to a press release, the number was chosen to honor the 11 herbs and spices that are in KFC’s famous original recipe, obviously.
It’s a great name for your baby. Just say it out loud. Harland. Plus, your greatly named kid could get $11,000 for college.
— KFC (@kfc) August 29, 2018
Some parents may be hesitant to name their kid after a fast food founder turned mascot but in the words of the immortal Bard, “What’s in a name?” And while Harland may not find itself at the top of most popular baby names list anytime soon, having $11,000 for your kid’s college fund is nothing to sneeze at. Plus, things could be worst. The global fried chicken chain could have asked parents to name their kid ‘Finger-Lickin’ Good’ or ‘Double Down Sandwich.’
