World-Class Athletes, Adventurers Toy Around for Charity; The Jack in the Box Foundation Raises Gavel for Online Auction Benefiting Big Brothers Big Sisters.

Business/News Editors

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 8, 2002

Bidding Starts Nov. 8

Big Brothers Big Sisters is getting a BIG hand from some BIG names -- people like 11-time NHRA Funny Car champion John Force, explorer Robert Ballard and surfing great Rob Machado. In a unique auction organized by The Jack in the Box Foundation to benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters, toys that accompanied these and other top athletes and adventurers as they raced, surfed, climbed and even mushed will be sold on eBay, along with photos and other memorabilia from their adventures. The 10-day auction begins Friday, Nov. 8.

"Unlike other auction items that are merely autographed by celebrities, these toys have actually participated in at least one bona fide, sometimes life- or limb-risking event," said Kathy Kovacevich, community relations manager for The Jack in the Box Foundation.

The five-inch-tall "bendable" toys, formerly offered at Jack in the Box(R) restaurants, participated in the following adventures:

-- mushed in the 2001 Iditarod Trail Dog Sled Race with Dr. Sonny King

-- surfed the Banzai Pipeline with Rob Machado

-- tended goal for the San Diego Gulls of the West Coast Hockey League

-- raced in three SCCA ProRally events with Carl Jardevall

-- raced in the Pep Boys NHRA 50th Anniversary Nationals with John Force

-- street luged in the 2001 X Games and 2001 Gravity Games with Biker Sherlock

-- explored during an Alaskan expedition for the JASON XIII Project with Dr. Robert Ballard

-- summited Mount Everest with Charlie Fowler

-- skydived with the Flying Elvi

-- climbed on K2 with Fowler and Christine Boskoff

A 12th real-life adventure involved the space shuttle Discovery, in which an Astronaut Jack toy traveled to the International Space Station in March 2001. But that toy will not be included in the auction. Instead, it will be inducted into an interactive children's exhibit at the San Diego Aerospace Museum on Dec. 14.

After the auction starts, interested bidders can view photos and package descriptions of the toys by visiting the "Charity" area on eBay (http://pages.ebay.com/charity) or by linking to the site from the Jack in the Box Web site (http://www.jackinthebox.com).

(NOTE TO EDITORS - A high-resolution image of one of the toy's adventures may be downloaded at http://www.jackinthebox.com/pressroom.)

Big Brothers Big Sisters has been the nation's preeminent youth-service organization for nearly a century. The non-profit organization is based on volunteers and supported entirely by gifts and grants, both nationally and locally. Today, Big Brothers Big Sisters serves hundreds of thousands of children in 5,000 communities across the country. For more information, call 888/412-BIGS.

The Jack in the Box Foundation is a national sponsor of Big Brothers Big Sisters and, since 1998, has provided approximately $1.5 million in financial support and services to the organization through corporate, employee and franchisee contributions, fund-raising activities and volunteer efforts.

Founded in 1951, Jack in the Box Inc. (NYSE: JBX) is the nation's first major drive-thru hamburger chain. The San Diego-based company operates or franchises more than 1,860 quick-service restaurants in 17 states.