(Dough Raised in More Ways Than One)
Plenty of dough was raised for the young patients at Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) thanks to the goodness of one local restaurant company and the appetites of local pizza lovers. STONEFIRE Grill’s recent Great American Pizza Challenge, a single day whereby all proceeds raised by the sale of oven-baked pizzas sold at the Fountain Valley and Irvine restaurants, raised $4,133. To kick off the event, volunteers from STONEFIRE Grill visited CHOC days before the Challenge and invited approximately 30 patients to try their hand at creating their own “designer pizzas.” The result was an afternoon of fun and creativity for the youngsters not to mention a delicious meal.
“Children’s Hospital of Orange is one of our favorite local organizations and we wanted to do something special for the kids that went beyond merely raising funds for them,” said Mary Harrigan, who with her sister, Maureen, founded the popular eateries in 2000. “Volunteers from our restaurants armed with pizza dough and all of the ingredients partnered with the patients and got them involved in creating the designer pizzas, which helped the kids get their minds off of their health challenges – even for a short time.”
Added Joyce Vantol, Director of Annual Giving, “We appreciate when sponsors like STONEFIRE Grill get involved beyond the fundraising aspect to where they are in direct contact with the patients. Doing so brings home the impact of their support.”
The first STONEFIRE Grill was launched by the Harrigans in 2000 as an homage to their mother and the family’s nightly gatherings where they enjoyed delicious family style dinners and spirited conversation in the comfortable atmosphere of their home. Today, STONEFIRE Grills stand as a testament to that legacy. Each restaurant is distinguished by its commitment to serving exceptional food in a pleasant environment by friendly and professional servers. The restaurants offer an expansive menu featuring mesquite grilled tri-tip, barbecue and lemon-garlic chicken, baby-back ribs, and a wide assortment of salads, pizzas and pastas. All items on the menu are available “to-go” and each restaurant is even designed with a special entrance dedicated to take-out — the modern mother’s version of providing a wholesome, delicious meal for her family. In addition, the STONEFIRE Grill has earned an outstanding reputation for its value-oriented catering capabilities as featured on the Style Network for “catering a scrumptious meal on a budget.”
Open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., STONEFIRE Grills are located in Irvine, Valencia, Fountain Valley and West Hills. For more information, visit www.Stonefiregrill.com.