Bon Appetit Ottawa receives Mayor’s City Builder Award

_ (press release) _ Mayor Jim Watson and Capital Ward Councillor David Chernushenko presented a Mayor’s City Builder Award to Bon Appetit Ottawa at today’s City Council meeting, recognizing the group’s continued leadership and dedication to community.

For the past 19 years, Bon Appetit Ottawa has provided much-needed assistance to a host of charities across the National Capital Region – in particular, those organizations working towards hunger and poverty relief. Through its annual fundraising event, Bon Appetit Ottawa has earned a five-star rating on its efforts to support the operational needs of local charities.

Bon Appetit Ottawa started when a number of local restaurateurs came together to brainstorm a way to give back to the community. Many of the founding members had volunteered on the boards of various charity organizations and wanted to contribute to the good work being done. Being in the hospitality industry, they recognized they were in a unique position to contribute to that success through an annual food-related fundraising event.

The founders recruited fellow restaurant owners and operators, along with members of other community organizations, and delivered the first Bon Appetit Ottawa event – a food and wine show fundraiser with the goal of raising money for organizations focused on helping relieve hunger and poverty among children and the elderly. In the nearly two decades since that first event, Bon Appetit Ottawa has raised more than $2.1 million for local charities and delivered more than 10,000 volunteer hours to the community. That number is set to grow with this year’s event planned for Tuesday, May 3.

The Mayor’s City Builder Award is a civic honour created to recognize an individual, group or organization that has, through outstanding volunteerism or exemplary action, demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to making our city a better place today and for the future. This may include lifelong service, outstanding acts of kindness, inspiring charitable work, community building or other exemplary achievements. Individuals, groups or organizations may be nominated by members of City Council or the public. The award is presented at the beginning of each City Council meeting.