Dine for America: Restaurants to the Rescue

By JULIETTE ROSSANT Last Thursday and Friday, the National Restaurant Association got busy with relief efforts among its members, who range from restaurant operators, chains, franchisees and independents; suppliers, distributors and consultants; students and educators; and non-profit organizations. Friday evening, an email letter went out from president Steven C. Anderson to inform NRA's community about the many activities of its members and itself, stating first: I don't need to tell you that America's hospitality industry is full of people with good hearts. Our hearts go out to our restaurant friends and family in the Gulf Coast -- to everyone affected by the hurricane -- and we are pleased to be able to galvanize the nation's restaurateurs and foodservice industry in this important effort. At the top of the list was the announcement of a national "Dine for America" event Set for October 5, 2005, a day of benefit dinners across the country for the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund, to help those affected by Hurricane Katrina and their families. The website goes active September 8. Participants may donate all or part of sales, make donations based on specific item sales, or provide donation canisters for guests. One hundred percent of funds go to the hurricane victims and their families via the Red Cross. (Anyone interested in participating should click here for further information.) NRA has also established an Hurricane Katrina Restaurant Blog to monitor member activities. Today's Washington Post leads with global foodservice company Sodexho and Marriot. In another article the Post notes that Kellogg, Brown & Root Services Inc., the Halliburton subsidiary that holds a five-year, no-bid contract for Iraqi oil fields and has received $10.7 billion for Iraq-related work, has begun emergency work in the U.S. Gulf Coast region based on a $500 million Navy (competitively bid) contract, won last July. KBR will received $12 million for naval facilities in Mississippi (where Cheney pal and former RNC chairman Haley Barbour is governor) and $4.6 million for other work in New Orleans and other locations. Previous articles: Katrina Relief: Restaurants to the Rescue? Complete Tsunami Relief Coverage Technorati Tags: superchefblog, super chef, chefs, food, restaurants, cooking, branding, cuisine --> back to superchefblog