Need a great excuse to eat out this month? Why not give while you dine, for the month of June, several Vancouver restaurants will be adding one dollar to the price of a menu item to support Growing Chefs’ Eat.Give.Grow fundraiser. Each restaurant will offer a specially marked item on their menu, simply, order it and the restaurant puts a Loonie in the kitty for Growing Chefs. Last year those individual Loonies added up to almost $7,000 that went to funding Growing Chefs’ school-based programs throughout Metro Vancouver.
Founded in 2005 by professional pastry chef Merri Schwartz, Growing Chefs is a registered non-profit organization that is dedicated to teaching kids about growing and preparing their own nutritious food in an urban environment. It connects chefs and growers (along with their valuable knowledge) to children through classroom-based programs that involve the planting of windowsill gardens. These gardens are used to teach the young participants about the food they eat while inspiring them with the idea that they can grow their own food – even in the city. To date more than 2,000 children have benefitted from participation in Growing Chefs.
Look for the specially marked menu items at the following participating restaurants:
Big Ridge Brewing Company (Surrey),Bishop’s, Campagnolo, Campagnolo Roma, Centi Notti, Chambar, Dockside Restaurant, Edible Canada on Granville Island, Fat Dragon, La Ghianda, Les Faux Bourgeois, Mangia e Bevi, Pourhouse Restaurant, Provence Mediterranean Grill, Provence Marinaside, Tableau Bar Bistro, Trafalgar’s , Wild Rice (both Downtown and New Westminster) and Yaletown Brewing Company. Updates to the list of participating restaurants will be posted to Growing Chefs’ web site and Facebook page.
Attend Vancouver Food Talks: Volume 1, Tuesday evening and part of the proceeds will also be donated to Growing Chefs programs.
What can a Loonie buy? It can buy a packet of bean seeds, a jiffy growing pot, a trowel or a plant tray. It can also buy a child the knowledge and ability to grow his/her own food for the rest of their life … and that’s priceless.