Azul Latin Kitchen raises $6,000 for Tahoe Youth & Family Services in 2017

Azul Latin Kitchen, located in the Heavenly Village, awarded a check for $6,000 to Tahoe Youth and Family Services during the board meeting on January 22.

The money was the result of fundraising efforts throughout the year, including a $1 donation for every “Blue Burro” drink sold from Azul’s cocktail menu in 2017, plus a Cinco de Mayo fundraiser event which included a dunk tank and raffle. The fundraising efforts culminated in a year-end benefit dinner at the restaurant in December. The evening featured an enchilada buffet dinner, live music, and raffle prizes donated by Azul Latin Kitchen and local merchants.

“Azul Latin Kitchen is proud to support our community through fundraising efforts like this,” said Ray Villaman, president and CEO of Tahoe Restaurant Group. “As a restaurant group, we recognize and support a local non-profit each year with each establishment,” he added. Tahoe Restaurant Group includes four restaurants located on both the north and south shores of Lake Tahoe. Azul Latin Kitchen and Base Camp Pizza are both located in the Heavenly Village at South Lake Tahoe; Rubicon Pizza Company is in the Northstar Village, and Fireside Pizza Co. is in the Village at Squaw Valley.

According to Daniel Scott, managing partner of Azul Latin Kitchen and Basecamp Pizza Company, Azul selected this non-profit group from a panel of representatives who presented to his staff. “This is by far our biggest contribution and commitment to a single organization,” Scott explained, adding that as a group, they prefer to focus on organizations that work with families and children.

“We see this fundraiser as being very successful and we will be able to put the money raised to good use,” said Karen Carey, executive director of Tahoe Youth and Family Services. “Our funding sources only pay part of the costs of behavioral health. Having unrestricted funds is very helpful to cover expenses that grants do not cover, such as our substance abuse counseling programs.”

According to Carey, the mission of Tahoe Youth and Family Services is to promote the healthy development of children, families and individuals through counseling, mentoring and support services. “Our programs are critical to having a healthy and safe community. Our caring and dedicated staff are making an impact one person at a time. Azul Latin Kitchen’s dedication to our community is very much appreciated,” Carey adds.

“We know that we have a large presence in the community. It is important for our restaurants to participate on a bigger level and we can do so by giving back to specific organizations that help make this community a better place,” Scott said, explaining that the restaurant also actively supports Bread and Broth, the local soup kitchen, by sending volunteers twice a month to help serve food, and participates in an annual Earth Day cleanup hosted in partnership by Azul, Keep Tahoe Blue, Marriott, and Heavenly Village. For 2018, the restaurant will work with Live Violence Free with fundraising opportunities throughout the year.

For more information or to make a donation, see http://www.tahoeyouth.org/ or https://www.facebook.com/tahoeyouthandfamily/.