A national restaurant chain is rolling out a program for its restaurants to help local nonprofit groups raise money.
Starting in the last week of this month, the “Together We Care” program at Applebee’s will bring in a nonprofit each Tuesday. The restaurant will feature five special menu items, and the nonprofit will get 50% of the sale of each of those items, said Anthony Thomas, general manager of the Burlington Applebee’s. A representative of the nonprofit also will have a table set up and be available for questions.
“It gives us an opportunity to get out in the community and help out those helping people in need,” Thomas said. “This program helps us build a better community, along with our sales.”
The first event in Burlington will be on Jan. 30 in support of Kopper Top Life Learning Center in Liberty, which provides animal-assisted recreational therapy designed to increase self-confidence and improve quality of life, Executive Director Deborah Meridith said.
“Now, we have 180 animals that we’ve rescued. We take them to nursing homes and other places that want animal-based therapy, and (we) are ... very active with Special Olympics,” Meridith said. “People visit with our dogs, cats, rabbits, horses and chickens. All of our programs are inclusive, serving ages 2 and up.”
The group also offers Healing Hooves, a horseback riding program; an inclusive summer day camp; and educational tours of the farm.
Thomas said each Applebee’s general manager is in charge of that restaurant’s “Together We Care” program, and he selected Kopper Top to kick of the program in Burlington.
“When I saw what Deborah was doing with Kopper Top and children with special needs, I knew she was perfect for our first Tuesday event. Special needs children and adults just want to have fun and do things they may have been told they can’t. She’s doing that, and I just love it,” Thomas said.
Richard Smith, the community outreach coordinator for the Burlington Applebee’s, said he was inspired when he visited the farm.
“I got to see a wheelchair-bound guy get to ride a horse. He loved it. This man that couldn’t walk was riding a horse. I knew what she is doing is special,” he said.
Thomas said he hopes the program makes a difference.
“Personally, I love doing it for the smiles. Just one smile can go a long way. We all need to smile a little more. By us helping out our local non-profits, we’re able to bring out more smiles, and that’s amazing,” Thomas said.
Thomas urges local nonprofit group interested in participating can contact him directly at 336-340-9997.
Applebee’s is at 3103 Garden Road.
