KFC will give $11,000 to first baby born on Sept. 9 who's named Harland

On Friday, KFC announced the launch of the "Crispy Colonel": an extra-crispy chicken sandwich with mayo and pickles that will be available starting Monday, April 23.

If you have a baby on Sept. 9, Kentucky Fried Chicken might just give you $11,000.

But KFC isn’t giving money away to just any baby. There are two big catches:

  • First, you must name your precious baby Harland, in honor of KFC's Col. Harland Sanders.
  • Second, your baby must be the first Harland born in America on Sept. 9.

This isn’t a clucking joke, people.

» Tiny KFC serving miniature food opens in Portland

The first baby born whose legal first name is Harland between midnight and 11:59 p.m. Eastern time (or the equivalent in other time zones) on Sept. 9 will get an $11,000 college donation. Why $11,000 you might ask? Because of KFC’s 11 herbs and spices, of course.

If you're willing to gamble with your child's first name, bookmark https://www.kfc.com/babyharland. The entry site will go live on Sept. 9 and stay open for 30 days. Parents must submit name, date and time of their baby's birth (via birth certificate, hospital records or other official record) along with their contact information.

But why?

KFC’s baby-naming promotion is held in honor of founder Sanders’ 128th birthday. The fried-chicken behemoth was displeased that the name Harland ranked only 3,257 among the most common baby names in America. (At that point, wouldn’t it be easier to include it among the least common names?)

“Even though vintage names are making a comeback, our iconic founder’s name was dwindling in popularity, and we couldn’t just stand idly by and let that happen,” said Andrea Zahumensky, KFC U.S. chief marketing officer. “We hope that this birthday celebration honors the Colonel and encourages the next generation of people aspiring to live the American dream.”

No purchase is necessary to enter this contest. See the full list of rules.