Pittsburgh, PA (RestaurantNews.com) Eat’n Park Hospitality Group team members and guests have raised $413,371 for children’s hospitals and charities across Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia during the company’s 33rd Annual Caring for Kids Campaign. The grand total is an increase of more than 21% over the 2010 campaign and is the highest total ever raised in the history of the Caring for Kids Campaign, exceeding the previous record set in 2006 by more than $51,000.
Since its inception in 1979, the Caring for Kids Campaign has now raised more than $8 million. The money donated at Eat’n Park Restaurants and Parkhurst locations benefits children’s hospitals in local communities.
In Pittsburgh, the Caring for Kids Campaign also shattered a record for the Free Care Fund at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC. This year’s $326,742 contribution to Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh brings Eat’n Park’s lifetime contribution to more than $7 million.
“We are ecstatic about setting new fund-raising records,” says Trina DeMarco, Eat’n Park’s Director of Corporate Giving and Community Partnerships. “The generosity of Eat’n Park guests, team members and partners ensures that children throughout our region will receive the care they need at children’s hospitals. We do it all for the kids.”
This year’s campaign included support from the Neighborhood Ford Store, its second year donating a vehicle for the in-store raffle fundraiser. Thanks to their generosity, one lucky Eat’n Park guest – Robin Brooks from Youngstown, OH – won a 2012 Ford Focus. The Neighborhood Ford Store is comprised of 82 Ford dealers in southwest Pennsylvania, southeast Ohio and the panhandles of Maryland and West Virginia.
Ms. Brooks’ winning ticket was selected from more than 70,000 tickets that were purchased to benefit the campaign. The Ford raffle generated more than $140,000– for the Caring for Kids Campaign. A patient at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC selected the winning ticket on December 14.
In addition to Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, 11 other hospitals across Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia, benefit from the initiative, including West Virginia University Children’s Hospital, St. Vincent Health System, Akron Children’s Hospital Mahoning Valley, Four Diamonds Fund at Penn State Children’s Hospital, Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital, Indiana Regional Medical Center, DuBois Regional Medical Center, Geisinger Medical Center, Columbus Children’s Hospital Foundation, Children’s Medical Center of Akron, and Children’s Hospital Foundation of Philadelphia.
About Eat’n Park
Since 1949, Pittsburgh-based Eat’n Park Restaurants has been a family-owned restaurant chain, serving guests across Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia. At the heart of Eat’n Park are more than 8,000 team members committed to providing friendly, attentive service and supporting a growing number of community initiatives, including an annual fundraising campaign that has generated more than $7 million for children’s hospitals. Eat’n Park also donates more than 200,000 Smiley Cookies – the brand’s iconic symbol – every year to support community events and fundraisers.
Eat’n Park Hospitality Group is a portfolio of foodservice concepts focused on personalized dining and winner of the National Restaurant Association’s 2011 Restaurant Neighbor Award for community service. The restaurant division includes Eat’n Park Restaurants and Six Penn Kitchen, a neighborhood American bistro. Its contract foodservice division includes: Parkhurst Dining Services, a provider of contract dining services to businesses, higher education institutions and cultural centers; and Cura Hospitality; which enhances life around great food through contract dining and management services for regional hospitals and senior living facilities.