HEARTS FOR HAITI: AN AMERICAN DINING RELIEF BENEFIT LAUNCHED BY BRAVO TV’S TOP CHEF CONTESTANT

• Top Chef Ron Duprat Teams with three Fellow Contestants & Fine Chefs Across the USA Valentine’s Day to raise funds for Haiti
• Up to ten percent of all funds raised will be donated equally to Hollywood Unites for Haiti and Kinship Circle Disaster Relief

Hollywood, FL – Haitian-born Ron Duprat, perhaps best known from Bravo’s hit TV series “Top Chef” has teamed up with three fellow contestants, Mattin Noblia, Hector Santiago and Michael V.  to welcome other fine chefs across the country in an all-chef Relief Benefit on  St. Valentine’s Day for his native land.  On February 14, all participating chefs and restaurants will donate up to 10 percent of their receipts to Hearts for Haiti: An American Dining Relief Benefit.   The donated funds will be divided between two charities: Hollywood United For Haiti and Kinship Circle Disaster Relief.  One hundred percent of the donated funds will go directly to on-the-ground relief efforts.

“Food always brings people together,” Duprat says.  “I hope that this St. Valentine’s Day, every community will have at least one restaurant where people can dine out with their loved ones and share their hearts with Haiti.”

Early participants include:

Andrew Black at Skirvin Hotel’s Park Avenue Grill, Oklahoma City;

Ron Duprat of  Latitudes Beach Café at the  Hollywood Beach Marriott in Hollywood, FL;

Sean Gavin of Graves Restaurant, Fort Myers, FL;

Adam Greenberg of Barcelona Wine Bar (several locations in Connecticut);

Mattin Nobilia of Iluna Basque Restaurant in San Francisco;

Niranjan Perera of Nilus Delights Bakery in Hollywood, FL;

Hector Santiago of Pura Vida – Latino Tapas Restaurant & Bar, Atlanta;

Florida Restaurant and Lodging in Miami

Top Chef Winner (Season 6) Michael V. of The Dining Room, Langham Huntington Hotel & Spa in Pasadena.

“Chefs always care,” Duprat adds.  “I hope chefs across the country will join us in this heartfelt effort for Haiti.  One hundred percent of their donations will go directly to Haitian relief efforts for both people and animals. It’s a win-win for everyone.”

For more information on becoming a participating chef or dining at a participating restaurant, call 415-461-9300 or visit  www.chefronduprat.com

Charitable Beneficiaries:

Hollywood Unites for Haiti is a Los Angeles-based non-profit founded in 2008 by Jimmy Jean Louis, a star of NBC TV’s hit series, “Heroes”. This charitable non-profit organization focuses on enriching the lives of Haitian children.  HUFH has established a relief fund to support the victims of the 2010 Haitian earthquakes.

Kinship Circle Disaster Relief is a St. Louis, MO-based non-profit that deploys volunteer teams certified animal aid workers to disaster-stricken areas with necessary animal food, equipment and veterinary supplies.

For additional media information only; to set up interviews, etc., please contact:  Valary Bremier

PO Box 412, Kentfield CA 94914, 415-686-7470 or valary@mindspring.com

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Not sure how I found this. How do we find anything on the interwebs these days, we stumble along.
But I thought it made for a good Friday Philosophy post. If you enjoyed it, check out Toothpaste for Dinner.

toothpastefordinner.com

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If you like Meatball Sundae, Purple Cow or any other of Seth Godin’s books.  Or even if you’ve never read any of his books, his latest is an ebook called What Matters Now and it’s free.

I like Seth’s writing, it’s always inspiring, insightful or inspirational.

Good way to start off 2010.

For those keeping tabs, Seth also has a book book coming out too.

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I spent part of the day planning my business goals for 2010.  It’s one of the things I love about this time of year.  Well, that and the fact that I feel completely justified in having hot cocoa in the middle of the day.

For me, goal planning is as much about looking back as it is looking forward. Because this year also closes a decade, I looked back even further.  Reflecting on all I’ve accomplished and planning for all the things I still want to get done.

Goal setting turned to reminiscing and I was reminded of the words of a friend  from many years ago.  He was a very successful business owner, and I looked up to him tremendously as, at the time, I looked forward to what my life could become.

I’ve had (and continue to have) a lot of great mentors, coaches and teachers in my life, but this person was something special.  To begin with, he was in his mid seventies and at the time, I was in my mid twenties.  (I’m now in my forties.)  Something he said to me way back when keeps coming back to me today, so I thought I’d share it with my you:

-When you’re in your twenties, you don’t know sh*t.  You think you do, but really…you’re clueless.

-When you’re in your thirties, you know some things, but no one else thinks you do.

-In your forties, you get a little gray in your temples, people start paying attention to what you say.  Suddenly they know you know something.

-Your fifties, everybody agrees, you know something.  Even you.

-Then come your sixties, “suddenly” you’re an expert. Everyone wants to know what you think.  But you couldn’t care less, you’re more interested in having a life.  You’re headed in a new direction.

What ever decade you’re in in your life, I hope the coming year is one of continued discovery!

This post is dedicated to my friend and mentor, Had Estabrooks.

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Today’s Friday Philosophy is from Peter Kim,partner of the new Dachis Group.  This quote was from on one of his blog posts this week and it resonated with me.  Peter’s quote is indicative of what 2010 holds in store for marketers; especially, but not limited to, the Social Media tacticians among us.  2010 is the year of put up or shut up!  2010 is when social media becomes less about experimentation and more about accountability and tracking.  But that’s all better said by Peter in today’s quote.  Have a great weekend~

An action is worth a thousand words.

-Peter Kim

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