DALLAS, May 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Brinker
International, Inc. (NYSE: EAT), parent company of Maggiano's
Little Italy® will host a send-off party for a Make-A-Wish
Foundation® recipient with its first Make-A-Wish Day Friday, May 21 at its Dallas headquarters.
Flying a jolly roger and donning eye patches, team members at
the restaurant support center are shelling out their doubloon to
raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Anthony, who wishes to
take a voyage to San Antonio and
visit Sea World, Fiesta Texas and the San Antonio Zoo, will be
surprised when Brinker team members announce his wish has been
granted and confetti is launched through the air.
This event will help culminate Maggiano's Little Italy
"Eat-A-Dish for Make-A-Wish" campaign, which has been raising
support to grant wishes since April
15 in restaurants nationwide. The in-restaurant program runs
through May 26 benefitting the
Make-A-Wish Foundation, which grants the wishes of children with
life-threatening medical conditions.
"For the past seven years, Maggiano's has had the privilege of
helping grant wishes for children through the kindness and
dedication of our guests, restaurants, and teammates," said
Steve Provost, President of
Maggiano's Little Italy. "This new event, which will be held each
May during our Eat-A-Dish for Make-A-Wish campaign, gives us an
opportunity to come together, have fun and witness the power of
sharing a wish."
Anthony's elaborate send-off party would not be possible without
the Dallas Children's Theater, whose set designers will help
transform the lawn in front of the Brinker headquarters into a
pirate's playground of which Anthony will be the captain. Events
such as this, along with the annual Eat-A-Dish for Make-A-Wish
campaign, are examples of how Maggiano's continually supports the
Make-A-Wish Foundation throughout the year.
About Maggiano's Little Italy
Maggiano's Little Italy specializes in Italian-American cuisine
served in a warm and friendly atmosphere. Maggiano's menu features
both classic and contemporary recipes -- authentic pastas,
signature salads, prime steaks, fresh seafood, regular chef
specials and specialty desserts. Maggiano's 45 locations worldwide
offer lunch and dinner, delivery, carryout service and banquet
spaces for special occasions. Maggiano's is owned and operated by
Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE: EAT), one of the world's leading
casual dining restaurant companies, with more than 1,700
restaurants in 29 countries and two territories.
Other Brinker restaurant brands include Chili's® Grill & Bar
and On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina®. Brinker also holds
a minority investment in Romano's Macaroni Grill®. For more
information, visit www.maggianos.com.
About the Make-A-Wish Foundation
The Make-A-Wish Foundation grants the wishes of children with
life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience
with hope, strength and joy. Founded in 1980 when a group of caring
volunteers helped a young boy fulfill his dream of becoming a
police officer, the Foundation is now the largest wish-granting
charity in the world, with 65 chapters in the United States and its territories. With
the help of generous donors and nearly 25,000 volunteers, the
Make-A-Wish Foundation grants a wish every 40 minutes and has
granted more than 188,000 wishes in the
United States since its inception. For more information
about the Make-A-Wish Foundation, visit wish.org and discover how
you can share the power of a wish®.
SOURCE Brinker International, Inc.; Maggiano's Little Italy