15 Top U.S. Restaurants Join a Valentine’s Day Initiative for Haiti

Earthquake survivors in Haiti will get a little extra love on Valentine’s Day as 15 top U.S. restaurants will donate a portion of their proceeds to a unique initiative called “Hearts for Haiti: An American Dining Relief Benefit,” the Pan American Development Foundation and its partners announced. www.HaitiHearts.org

Hearts for Haiti was conceived by Bravo’s “Top Chef” Season Six contestant Chef Ron Duprat, a native of Haiti and now Executive Chef at Latitudes Beach Cafe at the Hollywood Beach Marriott  in Florida, to raise money for relief and recovery efforts by three non-profit organizations, including PADF.

“Chef Ron Duprat’s initiative is a terrific way for people to celebrate their love for each other, while at the same time helping the survivors of today’s worst natural disaster in the hemisphere,” says Jimmy Jean-Louis, who plays the “Haitian” on NBC’s hit series “Heroes” and is PADF’s Goodwill Ambassador. www.HaitiHearts.org

Benefiting organizations are: PADF, along with its partners Hollywood Unites for Haiti (HUFH) and the Organization of American States (OAS) www.padf.org; and Kinship Circle Animal Disaster Aid based in St. Louis. www.KinshipCircle.org/haiti/

Participating restaurants are:

Arizona

Chef Todd Sicolo at Frank & Albert’s Restaurant at The Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix www.arizonabiltmore.com/dining/biltmore.aspx

California

Mattin Nobilia of Iluna Basque Restaurant in San Francisco www.ilunabasque.com

Connecticut

Adam Greenberg of Barcelona Wine Bar in West Hartford www.barcelonawinebar.com

Florida

Allen Susser of Chef Allen’s Seafood Grill in Aventura www.chefallens.com

Ron Duprat of Latitudes Beach Cafe at the Hollywood Beach Marriott  in Hollywood www.latitudesonthebeach.com

Niranjan Perera of Nilus Delights Bakery in Hollywood

Michelle Bernstein of Michy’s in Miami www.michysmiami.com

Sean Gavin of Crave Restaurant in Fort Myers

James Hudson of J Bistro in Fort Myers www.jbistros.com

Tim Andriola of Timo Restaurant in Sunny Isles www.timorestaurant.com

Chef Sigfredo Gonzalez at Borinqueya  in Davie www.borinqueyarestaurant.com

Chef Steve Mendez at Top Chef Restaurant and Lodge in North Ft. Lauderdale

Jose Pastrana of Trina Restaurant at the Atlantic Hotel in Ft. Lauderdale www.trinarestaurantandlounge.com

Georgia

Hector Santiago of Pura Vida-Latino Tapas Restaurant & Bar in Atlanta www.puravidatapas.com

New Jersey

Chef J. Geoffrey at The Copperfish Restaurant  in Cape May www.thecopperfishrestaurant.com

In Pasadena, Calif., Michael Voltaggio of The Dining Room, Langham Huntington Hotel & Spa has donated two dining gift certificates valued at $400, which will be auctioned. www.pasadena.langhamhotels.com

Apart from Hearts for Haiti, individual and corporate donations to PADF-OAS-HUFH’s Haiti relief, recovery and reconstruction efforts are encouraged by calling toll-free (877) 572-4484 or visiting www.PanAmericanRelief.org. Text HEAL to 50555 to donate $5.

About HUFH

Hollywood Unites For Haiti is a non-profit charitable aid organization based in Los Angeles that that is lead by Jimmy Jean-Louis. www.hufh.org.

About the OAS

The Organization of American States (OAS) is the world’s oldest regional organization and today is comprised of 34 countries from Latin America and the Caribbean. www.oas.org

About PADF

PADF is a non-profit organization established in 1962 to promote, facilitate, and implement social and economic development in Latin America and the Caribbean. In the past year, it had more than 5.6 million beneficiaries in 18 countries.

PADF is one of the largest non-governmental organizations in Haiti. With nearly three decades of work on the ground, PADF now manages a large portfolio of activities ranging from community-driven development to protecting human rights.

Its headquarters is in Washington, D.C., and has field offices in Haiti, Colombia, the Dominican Republic and elsewhere. www.padf.org

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