National Restaurant Association Awards North Carolina Restaurateur Prestigious Restaurant Neighbor Award 9/16/2003
From: Katharine Kim, 202-331-5939 Tom Foulkes, 202-331-5902; e-mail: media@dineout.org, both of the National Restaurant Association; web: http://www.restaurant.org WASHINGTON, Sept. 16 -- The National Restaurant Association today announced that Van Eure, FMP, owner of the Angus Barn in Raleigh, NC, was awarded the Cornerstone Humanitarian of the Year-part of the Association's fifth annual Restaurant Neighbor Award-during its Public Affairs Conference in Washington, D.C. The prestigious national award honors restaurants that go above and beyond in community service and aims to inspire other restaurateurs to get or stay involved in their local communities. U.S. Rep. David Price (D-N.C.) presented the award at a Capitol Hill awards ceremony and lauded Eure for her efforts. "The Eure family has made the Angus Barn restaurant a pillar of its local community for the past four decades, and Van carries on this great tradition," said Steven C. Anderson, Association president and chief executive officer. "Her exceptional personal commitment to the Walk for Hope and many other community projects deserves recognition and I am pleased to present her with our Cornerstone Humanitarian of the Year award." Nearly one in four people are affected by mental illness, and thanks to the tremendous efforts of Van Eure and the Angus Barn, millions are now benefiting from new treatments and increased education. The Thad Eure Walk for Hope is the main fundraising event for Thad Eure's Foundation of Hope, which supports research and treatment of mental illness. After her father Thad's death in 1988, Van Eure and the Angus Barn employees created the event in honor of her father and it has, to date, raised more than $1.3 million for the Foundation. In addition, this funding has helped the University of North Carolina's department of psychiatry jump from number 40 to number four in the National Institutes of Health's rankings of national psychiatry programs. "Van Eure and the Angus Bar are legendary for their generosity of spirit, time and financial support to worthwhile causes. They are prime examples of how individuals and businesses in our industry keep giving back to their communities," said Paul M. Stone, CAE, FMP, President and CEO of the North Carolina Restaurant Association. Nearly all of the Angus Barn's 200 employees help organize the Thad Eure Walk for Hope, which annually draws 2,000 participants from across the state. Over the past 14 years, Eure and the Angus Barn staff have fed nearly 28,000 participants and volunteered 200,000 hours of their time to make this event such a triumph. Van Eure herself has also worked determinedly to further the work of the Foundation of Hope and to raise public awareness. In addition to the Walk for Hope, Eure and the Angus Barn have been involved in community activities since the restaurant first opened in 1960. Recent projects include chairing the Toast to the Triangle event to benefit the Tammy Lynn Center for Developmental Disabilities, which assists profoundly disabled children, and recognizing the police officers who raise funds for Special Olympics at a special luncheon. Two restaurants from each participating state were selected to compete for the national Restaurant Neighbor Award (multi-unit and single-unit categories) and the Cornerstone Humanitarian of the Year, which is awarded to an individual who is an exemplary model of one who is personally dedicated to community service. The three national winners each received $5,000 to help the restaurant continue its community programs. A profile of the community-service efforts of each national and state winner will be highlighted in a booklet, as well as on the Association's Web site, http://www.restaurant.org/community. American Express is the founding partner of the program. "American Express is pleased to recognize the generosity of restaurants throughout America by sponsoring the National Restaurant Association's Restaurant Neighbor Award for the fifth year," said Scott R. Feldman, vice president, Industry Relations and Strategy, American Express. "Everyday, restaurants open their doors to members of their community for purposes other than serving great meals-they assist, encourage and support those in need, in their own neighborhoods and nationwide, and serve as community leaders in organizing charity projects and events-and we are thrilled to support their tireless work." "Restaurants are truly the cornerstone of community involvement and play an essential role in the health of local communities across the nation. Nine out of 10 restaurants actively participate in charitable activities, such as fighting hunger, supporting health initiatives, mentoring youth and many other types of projects. The National Restaurant Association supports and commends the philanthropic spirit prevalent in the restaurant industry, and hope these efforts will inspire others," Anderson said. The 2003 Restaurant Neighbor Award single-unit operator winner is Charlie Trotter's in Chicago, Ill. The winner of the multi-unit operator category is Anthony's Restaurants in Bellevue, Wash. For more information on Van Eure, Anthony's Restaurants, Charlie Trotter's, or the Restaurant Neighbor Award, please contact the National Restaurant Association at media@dineout.org or (202) 973-3677. --- The National Restaurant Association, founded in 1919, is the leading business association for the restaurant industry, which is comprised of 870,000 restaurant and foodservice outlets and a work force of 11.7 million employees -- making it the cornerstone of the economy, career opportunities and community involvement. Along with the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, the Association works to represent, educate and promote the rapidly growing industry. For more information, visit our Web site at http://www.restaurant.org | |