Fountain Valley eateries serve up a plan to recognize graduating seniors

It’s been a tough year for restaurants and a tough year for graduating seniors.

The stay-at-home order and slow phasing for the reopening of dine-in restaurants have taken a toll on restaurants across the country.

But today local restaurants are just trying to stay afloat while trying to make monthly rent, payroll, utility payments and cover other operating expenses. They came up with a solution that helps both eateries and graduating seniors.

In May, the restaurant association created the FVRA Cares fundraiser.

The goal is to raise funds to both help restaurants and to provide gift certificates to the graduating seniors at Fountain Valley, Los Amigos and Valley Vista high schools. The plan is to raise $50,000, which would provide gift certificates to all 1,447 graduating seniors from the three Fountain Valley high schools.

The city and the restaurant association held a press conference on May 27 at the Fountain Valley Town Center, near Brodard Restaurant. Mayor Cheryl Brothers and Teresa Razo of Cambalache Restaurant as well as principals from the three schools were among the speakers.

Long before the COVID-19 pandemic arrived, the Fountain Valley Restaurant Association was formed to raise awareness about the culinary diversity in the city and to help restaurants increase their business.

Last October, the association staged the highly successful Experience Fountain Valley, a showcase of local restaurants, caterers, breweries and wineries, held in Freedom Hall at Mile Square Regional Park. The event raised funds for the Fountain Valley Fire Department.

You can donate to this fundraiser through the association’s GoFundMe. The deadline to donate is Friday.

To donate, go to gofundme.com/f/FountainValley-RestaurantAssoc-Cares.

Source: Orange County Register