Local restaurants join national effort to help oil spill victims

The Red Mug Coffeehouse, Sharon’s Lakeview Café and Chester Creek Café have joined restaurants around the country in pledging to set aside a portion of their profits to help those directly affected by the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

The effort began when Chef Jimmy Galle who owns the Gulfish restaurant in Sausalito, Calif., wanted to find a way to help struggling businesses in the Gulf. Word got out and soon scores of restaurants in 16 states around the country joined in the effort.

Area restaurants involved are the Red Mug Coffeehouse, 916 Hammond Ave., Superior, which will hold Dine Out days July 22 and 23; Sharon’s Lakeview Café, 6884 Lake Ave. S., Lake Nebagamon, which will serve traditional jambalaya and gumbo July 8 and 15; and Chester Creek Café, 1902 E. Eighth St., Duluth, whose donation days are Thursday-Sunday.

Proceeds will go to the Gulf Coast Oil Spill Fund, administered by the Greater New Orleans Foundation, which is making emergency grants to nonprofit organizations helping victims of the oil spill. The goal of the fund is to address the long-term economic, environmental and cultural effects of the disaster. All funds will go directly to the communities in need and will not be used for administrative costs.

Chefs or restaurants interested in becoming involved or holding future events to support the Gulf Coast Oil Spill Fund, can contact Dine Out for the Gulf Coast’s originator and organizer Jimmy Galle, owner of the Sausalito-based Gulfish at gulfishing@gmail.com. or visit http://dineoutforthegulfcoast.org.

Information on the fund can be found at www.gnof.org/gulf-coast-oil-spill-fund/disaster-on-the-gulf-coast.

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