The annual Chapel Hill-Carrboro RSVVP event (Restaurants Sharing V/5 & V/5 Percent) held in November 2000 has been the most successful in the project's 12-year history. As of April 11, 100 of the 105 participating restaurants have sent in their 10 percent donation for a current total of $22,023. Both the number of restaurants participating and the total amount of money raised have set a new record for the project.
The Durham program, which benefits St. Philip's Community Kitchen, reports that pledges from 41 of 49 restaurants total $6,300 and the Food Bank of N.C. in Raleigh has collected $8,000 thus far, bringing the Triangle-wide total to more than $36,300 and counting. Again, a record! The cumulative total for Chapel Hill-Carrboro RSVVP program has now reached $170,000, with the Triangle-wide, 11-year total approaching $300,000. I attribute the obvious Chapel Hill-Carrboro advantage to the loyal support of our University community and would like to thank everyone who helps to make this project so successful.
Alpha Phi Omega fraternity president, Angie Lindsay, coordinated the distribution of the posters and table tents to all of the downtown participating restaurants. Aaron Nelson, then the interim director of Greek affairs, helped to distribute fliers listing all of the participating restaurants to all the fraternities and sororities and the office of resident housing for doing the same for residence hall residents. Antoine Peuch of West Franklin Preservation Partnership sponsored free trolley rides between the medical complex and downtown during the lunch hour. The pick-up bus stops were identified with balloons contributed by Balloons and Tunes. Each one contributed in their own way to the success of the event.
The Daily Tar Heel promoted the event with many pertinent feature articles relating to hunger in our community, restaurant participation and the importance of eating out on RSVVP Day. Chrissy Beck, director of marketing, published the complete list of participating restaurants as community service ads for several days before the event. These are all great reminders to the UNC students and faculty to Eat Out! or Take Out! for a good cause. Several restaurant owners and managers admit that they join the project because of encouragement and/or gratitude from their regular patrons. Thank you all very much.
With due respect to the many generous and community-spirited restaurateurs who agree to donate 10 percent of their receipts for a whole day; to the many diners who fill these restaurants on RSVVP Day; and to the great promotion by the sponsors, I do believe that the loyal support of the University community offers that special "edge" to our local efforts and for this, I am most grateful. Those who benefit from the hunger-relief programs of the Inter-Faith Council -- the Community Kitchen and the Family Services Emergency Food Pantry -- join with me in thanking you. I share the joy of this success with all of you.
Irene T. Briggaman
RSVVP Chairman
Chapel Hill-Carrboro
