Virginia Clubs Develop “Restaurant Week” for Charity

Entry Details

In 2022, clubs from the Virginias Chapter began a “Restaurant Week” contest to raise funds for FeedMore and other food banks throughout the Commonwealth. Culinary teams created special menus for the week, where a portion of proceeds would be donated to the charities. In 2023, the participating clubs raised $6,500, a 433% increase from the inaugural year. Additionally, the number of participating clubs doubled. It was fun for the culinary teams to be creative with their menus for an important cause and club members enjoyed taking part in the goodwill. This friendly competition brought together a wide variety of chapter clubs as it is easy to implement and enjoy, regardless of club size or type. The chapter is committed to continuing to grow this contest that supports the communities in which our members and teams live, work and play.

Implementation

Community support is a consistent goal of the Virginias Chapter Board. Restaurant weeks in Virginia have become a vibrant time for the community to sample fun food offerings at new places. This became an opportunity for the club culinary teams to match that creativity and simulate a Restaurant Week for its members, all for a good cause. The idea initiated from Chapter Board member, Dan Jordan of Salisbury Country Club. Dan collaborated with fellow club managers to identify appropriate weeks to host and their local food bank. He also spearheaded the donations being presented to the beneficiaries at a chapter meeting with a large check, with further spread awareness of the program. The reaction from chapter members has been very positive with participation doubling in two years. The Chapter plans to create more awareness for additional club participation and fully supports this cause. Chapter members are pleased to be a part of something that inspires their teams and helps their communities.