As Corporate Charity, "Welcome Home Moose"
CHARLOTTE, NC – 131 MAIN Restaurant, a growing chain of upscale casual
restaurants based in the Charlotte area, has adopted the new Charlotte
Ronald McDonald House as its corporate charity and held a "Welcome
Home Moose" event as a benefit/fund raiser for the M2 Foundation as a
kick-off.
"We are very grateful to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg community for our
success, and we want to give back to the community by supporting some
local causes," said Joe Douglas, CEO of Captiva Restaurant Group,
parent company of 131 MAIN Restaurant. "Some years ago I personally
experienced the great value and caring service of a Ronald McDonald
House in Chicago, and now our company has decided to use our resources
to help it get established in Charlotte."
The Ronald McDonald House of Charlotte is scheduled to open in 2010
and will primarily serve families of children being treated at Levine
Children's Hospital and Presbyterian Healthcare's Hemby Children's
Hospital. Situated in the 1600 block of East Morehead Street on a lot
donated by Carolinas Healthcare System, the House will feature
approximately 35,000 square feet of living space complete with 20 to
30 bedrooms (one family per bedroom/suite), providing more than 10,000
nights of stay each year for families experiencing challenging times.
Details at www.rmhofcharlotte.org.
"Our main support venue for Ronald McDonald House will be coordinating
the use of our WBT Radio airtime in an effort to bring awareness to
their cause and goal of building their new house," Douglas explained.
"Muhsin has agreed to be a local spokesperson for Ronald McDonald
House of Charlotte, so we hope to coordinate our efforts with Moose as
well as other local personalities supporting this great charitable
cause."
Captiva Restaurant Group launched 131 MAIN Restaurant (http://www.131-main.com
) in Cornelius in 2004 and has already expanded to East Boulevard and
Ballantyne in Charlotte. Locations in other Carolinas cities are now
in the planning stages.
"Our concept of upscale casual dining, with a somewhat limited menu of
excellent food and friendly service, has been a big success," Douglas
said. "We are grateful to the people of Charlotte and the Lake Norman
area for our growth, which in turn has given us the resources to help
others." Chris Carlsen, CFO, and Mike Vaughn, COO, are partners with
Douglas. Vaughn and Douglas have been friends since their college days
at Florida State University, while Douglas and Carlsen own a local
commercial real estate development company together.
The M2 Foundation was started by Muhammad in 1999 and is dedicated to
"motivating all of its members, typically young men in the sixth
through twelfth grades, to reach their full potential. M2's goal is to
develop healthy and productive members of the community and society as
a whole," said Foundation executive director Nicole Holtz. "We provide
members with private academic tutoring, life skill workshops, global
view program and spiritual development. As a reward for good behavior,
good academic standing and meeting other M2 requirements, members are
taken on an annual Educational Spring Break chaperoned personally by
Muhsin and other male mentors. M2 plans on involving its members and
parents as volunteers and support for families who visit the RMH." For
more information, see www.m2foundationforkids.com.
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Media Contact: Buck Lawrimore, Lawrimore Communications Inc.,
704-332-4344, http://www.Lciweb.com
