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Restaurant Franchising & Innovation Summit

Restaurant execs gambling for a good cause

A few hundred restaurant leaders are gathering in Nashville next month at the Restaurant Franchising and Innovation Summit, where they will participate in Casino Night and Auction in benefit of Children of Restaurant Employees. The final early bird discount for the Summit ends Friday.

February 23, 2022 by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

One of my favorite parts of the Restaurant Franchising and Innovation Summit is bringing together some of the industry's most important people for a chance to help others. During past summits, for example, we made thousands of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, collected and packed apple bags and stuffed thousands of hygiene bags for those in need.

Those projects were wonderful and obviously helped many people, but I must admit that I'm even more excited about this year's good cause — Casino Night and Auction in support of CORE on March 30 at the Grand Hyatt Nashville. This time, we get to directly help restaurant workers because all money raised will go to CORE — Children of Restaurant Employees — which provides financial relief to restaurant employees with children who face a medical crisis, death or natural disaster.

I can't think of a better way for a room full of restaurant executives to thank the very people who make their successes possible than by raising and donating money to help their families.

"The stakes have never been better to join in the fun for a cause that helps employees in our industry at Networld's Casino night," said Sheila Bennett, director of CORE. "We are so excited about this event and are grateful for the industry's support."

Casino Night is from 5 to 8 p.m., March 30, and will feature free appetizers, cocktails and live music as well as several gaming tables, including Blackjack, Roulette, Texas Hold'em and Craps, where attendees will not only play games to win prizes but also participate in silent ( 8 .m.) and live (7.15 p.m.) auctions with all funds raised going to CORE.

CORE provides grants, ranging from $500 to $4,000 based on need, to people in all 50 states and in Puerto Rico, according to Bennett, who said 84% of the grants go toward a medical crisis, and 58% of grantees are single parents.

My team has been busy collecting donations for the auctions, and it has reminded me once again how the restaurant industry is one that always takes care of its own. If you'd like to donate a prize to the auction or would like to make a cash donation, send me an email at Cherryhc@networldmediagroup.com. We appreciate any and all contributions to this amazing group.

"I am so excited for both this amazingly fun Casino night but also to spread the word about CORE," said Stacey Kane, the emcee for the event as well as a supporter of CORE and one of the industry's Marketing pros. "This organization is doing such great things in our industry to provide hope for restaurant employees with children."

All attendees of the Summit may attend the Casino night, sponsored by DailyPay, free of charge as part of their Summit registration. Register here by the end of the day on Friday to receive the Early Bird Discount.

About Cherryh Cansler

Cherryh Cansler is VP of Events for Networld Media Group and publisher of FastCasual.com. She has been covering the restaurant industry since 2012. Her byline has appeared in Forbes, The Kansas City Star and American Fitness magazine, among many others.

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