Organization Contact:
Ken Salem
(203) 324-0594
Find out what's happening in Stamfordwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Find out what's happening in Stamfordwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Darden Media Contact:
Jenni Izzo
(407) 657-4818
The Boys & Girls Club of Stamford and Darden Restaurants Partner to Serve the At-Risk Teens of Stamford
[Stamford, CT] – March 7, 2014 – The Boys and Girls Club of Stamford today announced it has been selected to receive a $1,000 grant as part of the Restaurant Community Grants program from the Darden Restaurants Foundation, Inc., the charitable arm of Darden Restaurants. The grants program, now in its third year, empowers each restaurant in the Darden family of brands to help award a $1,000 grant to support local community programs. The donation will support the Boys and Girls Club’s goal of preparing 40 low income teens for a successful four year high school degree.
Darden’s Red Lobster, Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Bahama Breeze, Seasons 52, The Capital Grille, Eddie V’s and Yard House brands participated in the program. Many restaurants and brands worked together to award one nonprofit organization with a larger grant and make a greater impact in their community. Nonprofits receiving grants support one of Darden’s three key focus areas: education, preservation of natural resources and hunger relief.
Michael Cotela, the Executive Director of the Boys and Girls Club of Stamford, states, “This grant from the Darden Restaurants Foundation is a tremendous example of their commitment to help non- profits provide important educational programs for our at-risk youth.” Cotela continues, “Darden’s support will enable us to provide crucial services that will guide our teens to a four year high school diploma and prepare them for a successful future.”
“We strive to make a positive impact in all the communities our restaurants serve,” said Gene Lee, Darden’s president and chief operating officer. “Our employees are incredibly passionate about getting directly involved in their local communities, and our Restaurant Community Grants program enables each of our restaurant teams to make a difference right in their own backyard.”
The Boys and Girls Club of Stamford’s Diplomas to Degrees program provides the necessary foundation of academic support, life skills training and leadership development that will enable these teens to successfully complete high school and then focus on the path to a productive future.
The Darden Foundation
The Darden Restaurants, Inc. Foundation is the charitable arm of Darden Restaurants, Inc. The Darden Foundation’s mission is to maintain a spirit of service and community engagement as defining characteristics of Darden’s family of restaurants – Red Lobster, Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Bahama Breeze, Seasons 52, The Capital Grille, Eddie V’s and Yard House. Since 1995, the Darden Foundation has awarded more than $71 million in grants to leading nonprofit organizations that align with its mission and community priorities: Recipe for Success®, Preservation of Natural Resources and Good Neighbor grants. Through the Darden Harvest program, Darden Restaurants has also donated more than 66 million pounds of food to hunger relief agencies across the U.S. and Canada. In 2011, the Darden Foundation introduced the Restaurant Community Grants program that is dedicated to supporting local nonprofit organizations in the hundreds of communities where we live and serve. For more information, please visit www.dardenfoundation.com.
