News & Information
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| For Immediate Release |
Contact: Andy Deloney |
July 26, 2007
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517/377-3931 |
MICHIGAN RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF ANNUAL PHILANTHROPY AWARDS
LANSING, MI – The Michigan Restaurant Association (MRA) today announced four state winners
for the ninth annual Restaurant Neighbor Awards and Cornerstone Humanitarian
Award. The program was created by the
National Restaurant Association to honor restaurants’ commitment to community
service and innovative community projects and to underscore that restaurants
truly are the cornerstone of local communities.
The three winners of the
Restaurant Neighbor Award are The Side
Door Saloon, located in Petoskey, MI; Zingerman’s,
based in Ann Arbor, MI; and Culver’s
of Adrian. The winner of the
Cornerstone Humanitarian Award is Daniel
Verhil, owner of the Grand Rapids establishments Cottage Bar and One Trick Pony.
They now will compete with winners from other states for the national
awards to be presented in September.
“Each of these winners are prime
examples of the generosity and philanthropy Michigan restaurants exhibit every
day of the year in their communities,” said
Rob Gifford, MRA executive director.
“The Restaurant Neighbor Award and the Cornerstone Humanitarian Award
recognize the driving force behind their involvement in community service. It is a great way to shine the spotlight on
and honor the many things they do each day to make our communities better
places to live and work.”
“Restaurants have long been true
cornerstones of local communities across the country –in fact, nine out of 10
restaurants are involved in community service – and we are very pleased to
recognize their efforts with our Restaurant Neighbor Award,” said National
Restaurant Association President and Chief Executive Officer Dawn Sweeney. “Each year, we learn of new and innovative
ways restaurants serve local communities across the nation, and I look forward
to this year’s inspiring examples.”
The Restaurant Neighbor Award and Cornerstone Humanitarian
Award honor charitable contributions of restaurants and restaurateurs. The Michigan winners will contend with winners from other states and be eligible for the
national awards. One grand prize winner
in each category will be announced at the National Restaurant Association’s
Public Affairs Conference in Washington,
DC, held September 2007.
A profile of each state winner’s community involvement
will be highlighted in a booklet that the National Restaurant Association will
distribute in the fall, as well as on the association’s web site, www.restaurant.org/community.
Founded in 1921, the Michigan Restaurant Association represents more than 4,500 Michigan foodservice establishments. The foodservice industry plays an integral role in Michigan’s economy, employing more than 421,000 people and creating more than $12.3 billion in total annual sales. For more information, call (517) 482-5244.
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