Restaurant Industry Raises More Than $12 Million for American Red Cross Hurricane Relief Efforts

“Last fall, the nation’s restaurants, their employees and their guests united and raised more than $12 million to help those whose lives were affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita,” said Steven C. Anderson, president and chief executive officer of the National Restaurant Association. “More than 17,000 restaurants joined in the Dine for America effort alone. Never before have so many restaurants come together in one single charitable effort. This unprecedented outpouring of support clearly demonstrates the great compassion and commitment to service by our great industry.”

“The restaurant industry was among the first to offer assistance after disaster struck the Gulf Coast region last fall, and the results of Dine for America speak volumes about the compassion exhibited by our nation’s restaurateurs and customers,” said Kathleen Loehr, senior vice president of development for the American Red Cross. “The American Red Cross is proud to be part of this effort and commends and thanks all those who participated.”

Restaurants participated in the Dine for America effort at various levels, including donating all or a portion of the day’s sales/profits; employees donating that day’s wages or tips; and collecting guest donations. For more information on Dine for America, including which restaurants participated, visit www.dineforamerica.org.

For information about the Red Cross hurricane relief and recovery efforts and further details regarding the impact that generous donations are making in the lives of hurricane survivors, please visit .

The National Restaurant Association, founded in 1919, is the leading business association for the restaurant industry, which is comprised of 925,000 restaurant and foodservice outlets and a work force of 12.5 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 .

The American Red Cross is where people mobilize to help their neighbors—across the street, across the country and across the world—in emergencies. Each year, in communities large and small, victims of some 70,000 disasters turn to neighbors familiar and new—the nearly 1 million volunteers and 35,000 employees of the Red Cross. Through more than 800 locally supported chapters, more than 15 million people gain the skills they need to prepare for and respond to emergencies in their homes, communities and world. Some 4 million people give blood—the gift of life—through the Red Cross, making it the largest supplier of blood and blood products in the United States. The Red Cross helps thousands of U.S. service members separated from their families by military duty stay connected. As part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, a global network of more than 180 national societies, the Red Cross helps restore hope and dignity to the world's most vulnerable people. An average of 91 cents of every dollar the Red Cross spends is invested in humanitarian services and programs. The Red Cross is not a government agency; it relies on donations of time, money, and blood to do its work.