Our world has changed a great deal over the last year. We have been affected by terrorist attacks, a weak economy, and a newfound fear of the general public to continuing with our normal daily lives. But the hospitality industry is resilient. We have responded with efforts to support those in need, not only from recent national events, but also within "neighborhood" communities.

Community service is not only a noble activity, but a necessary one to keep our neighborhoods healthy and prosperous. Today, more than ever, Americans are volunteering their time, money and expertise to help their neighbors, and working tirelessly to improve the life of their local communities and community members. Neighborhood restaurants are natural gathering places for these generous individuals, but they are also more often than not involved in their causes.

Many times, extraordinary efforts by the average American go unnoticed outside of the local community, and I think that it is time for these local heroes to receive the recognition they so well deserve. The Michigan Restaurant Association Restaurant Neighbor Award does just that, and provides an opportunity for the members of our community to show their appreciation for the charitable contributions of their local restaurants and their staffs.

Restaurants have always been involved in the improvement of our local communities and do wonderful things each day. Research shows that nine out of 10 restaurateurs are involved in some type of community service, and many of these can be found right in your own city. In addition, giving back to the community is the most important reason for participating in community activities for more than eight out of 10 restaura-teurs.

I encourage MRA members to nominate themselves or their fellow restaurateurs for the 4th Annual Restaurant Neighbor Award. It?s a perfect opportunity to celebrate the philanthropic spirit of your restaurant, and your staff.

There is more to the award than just the honor of receiving it. Each category (single unit and multi unit), will receive $500 each to improve its award-winning program and continue to give back to its local community. The two winners of the Michigan award will also be entered in the National Restaurant Association's competition for a chance to win $5,000 each to support their comm-unity efforts.

All Michigan restaurants that go above and beyond in community activism are eligible for the award and I urge all restaurants to consider this opportunity to be recognized. Restaurants who wish to apply for the award may download the application at www.michiganrestaurant.org, or call Kim Ohlemacher at the MRA at (800) 968-9668, ext. 3926. Deadline for entries is July 15th.

I am proud to be part of an industry that is so philanthropic and aware of the needs of its communities, and that ties those communities together with tireless efforts.

Good luck to all those that choose to enter, and I applaud each and every one of you that support your local communities.