2016 Restaurant Week beneficiaries include local nonprofits

Midtown nonprofits will benefit in early 2016 when Kansas City Restaurant Week proceeds go to support their causes.

As planning for restaurant week next year continues, organizers announced beneficiaries for the Jan. 15-24, 2016 event, including BoysGrow, Children’s Center for the Visually Impaired and Cultivate Kansas City – the same trio that 2015 Kansas City Restaurant Week benefitted.

Additionally, the Kansas City Regional Destination Development Foundation and the Greater Kansas City Restaurant Association Education Foundation will again receive a portion of the donations.

During the 10-day event in 2015, 160 participating restaurants raised nearly $310,000 in charitable contributions. It has raised more than $1 million since its beginning.

Restaurants interested in participating should visit www.regonline.com/kcrw2016.

2016 Kansas City Restaurant Week Beneficiaries

• BoysGrow – Founded in 2010, the mission of BoysGrow is to teach entrepreneurism to urban male youth in the Kansas City area through farming and agriculture. The organization operates two working farms maintained by male youth, ages 14-16, from throughout the metro. Participants use fruits and vegetables grown at the farms to create products such as ketchup, salsa, barbecue sauce, and hot sauce to be sold in local restaurants and food stores. BoysGrow will unveil its 2015 product, Tzatziki salad dressing, in mid-August.

• Children’s Center for the Visually Impaired – Founded in 1952 in the basement of an area church, CCVI has grown to serve nearly 400 children annually from birth to age eight in the Kansas City metro with visual impairments. The center offers programs for children and their families including a food program designed to teach children with visual impairments positive eating habits, leading to the development of good health and positive social skills.

• Cultivate Kansas City  – Founded in 2005, Cultivate Kansas City works to grow food, farms and communities for a healthier local food system in the Kansas City area. Beginning in 2015, the organization took ownership of Beans&Greens, a program to provide incentive to those receiving government assistance to shop at local farmers markets. The program matches dollar for dollar EBT,SNAP or other assistance-program monies spent at farmers markets, allowing low-income families to effectively double their budget when purchasing healthy, locally produced items as well as bringing new customers to local farmers.

• Kansas City Regional Destination Development Foundation – Administered by Visit KC, the foundation focuses primarily on the identification, development and advocacy of tourism products in Kansas City and its surrounding communities. The KCRDDF oversees the Heartland Tourism Ambassador training program and provides career development opportunities in tourism, with specific interest in at-risk populations, including youth, minorities and seniors.  

• Greater Kansas City Restaurant Association Educational Foundation – Administered by the GKCRA, the foundation seeks to promote the restaurant industry in the greater Kansas City area by offering scholarships to students pursuing a career in the hospitality industry.