The California Restaurant Association and Maria Shriver, wife of California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, have joined forces to encourage families to spend time eating together. The "We Are Family Day 2009" celebration Sept. 23 includes nearly 650 CRA member participating restaurants offering free meals for children between 4 to 8 p.m., with the purchase of an adult entrée. Participating restaurants include El Pollo Loco.
Family Day is a national movement launched by the National Center on Addiction Substance Abuse at Columbia University (CASA). The center's research found that children who eat dinner with their families are less likely to smoke, drink or use drugs. As honorary chair of California's Family Day for the past four years, Shriver has hosted Family Day events in cities throughout California, encouraging families to spend time doing activities that strengthen the family unit through eating, playing, serving and preparing for emergencies together.
