THROUGH LABOR DAY WEEKEND, ENDS SEPT. 3
WHO & WHAT: Houston Restaurant Weeks, Houston’s premier philanthropic culinary event benefiting the Houston Food Bank, will extend through Labor Day Weekend, ending on Monday, Sept 3, 2012. Houstonians can take advantage of the long weekend by dining out to help out at 170 participating restaurants.
This year Houston Restaurant Weeks hopes to exceed the 2011 donation of $800,000 to the Houston Food Bank. The Food Bank feeds a total of 137,000 people each week and provides more than 53 million nutritious meals annually. Participating restaurants offer a three-course gourmet dinner for $35 per person and donate $5 of the proceeds to the Houston Food Bank. Some restaurants also offer a $20 two-course lunch menu, and donate $3 of each lunch sold. Select restaurants also offer $20 and $35 brunch menus.
INTERVIEWS WITH SPOKESPEOPLE AVAILABLE: Cleverley Stone, founder & chair of Houston Restaurant Weeks; Houston Food Bank representatives; Cooking demos with chefs from participating restaurants
WHEN & WHERE: Houston Restaurant Weeks Original Dates: Aug. 1—31, 2012. Now extended to Sept. 3. (Note: Restaurants are not required to extend. See list at: www.HoustonRestaurantWeeks.com)
WHY: Since its inception in 2003, the event has raised more than $1.7 million to fight hunger in Houston. For the latest Houston Restaurant Weeks information, including restaurant listings, menus, sponsor information, and reservations, visit www.HoustonRestaurantWeeks.com. Follow HRW on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/HouRestaurantWk and on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/HoustonRestaurantWeek.
About the Houston Food Bank
Now operating from a new, 308,000 square-foot facility, the Houston Food Bank is the nation’s largest size Feeding America food bank and source of food for hunger relief charities in 18 southeast Texas counties. They have been named one of 10 Top-Notch Charities across the nation by Charity Navigator. A network of nearly 500 food pantries, soup kitchens, senior centers and other agencies, feeding a total of 137,000 people each week, provides more than 53 million nutritious meals annually. Fresh produce, meat and nonperishables are distributed from the new warehouse at 535 Portwall, and hot meals are prepared and distributed from Keegan Center, a 15,000 square-foot industrial kitchen. Additional community services range from nutrition education to assistance with food stamp applications and hands-on job training. Red Barrels offer a convenient way for grocery shoppers to donate nonperishables for their neighbors in need. The Houston Food Bank, founded in 1982, is a certified member of Feeding America, the nation’s food bank network. The organization plans to grow to an annual distribution of 100 million nutritious meals by 2018.
