October 2009
Make-A-Wish Honours Cactus Restaurants
The BC & Yukon chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation® today announced that the Cactus Club Cafe Restaurants have reached a milestone in lifetime giving of over $50,000 donated in cash and in-kind services.
The partnership between Make-A-Wish and Cactus Club began in 1999. Over the past 10 years, the Cactus Club Cafe has kindly provided complimentary meals to 188 wish families as a bon voyage party prior to their wish. Since 2003, they have also been a strong supporter of the Sweet Dreams Dessert Day promotion at all 17 locations donating proceeds from desserts sold on that day.
“The Cactus Club has been a very generous and thoughtful partner to Make-A-Wish over the last decade”, remarked Ross Hetherington, Executive Director of Make-A-Wish. “Their employees truly believe in our mission and have made our wish families feel so welcomed. We’re honoured to be partnered with such a great organization that is dedicated to their community.”
To mark the occasion, former wish child Heidi presented Cactus Club Cafe with a special plaque by artist Jasmine Sasky depicting the 4 kinds of wishes that are granted by the Foundation.
“It is essential to the Cactus Club culture to be a positive, active member in all 20 communities in which we operate,” says Richard Jaffray, President and CEO for Cactus Restaurants LTD. “It has been truly an honour for our entire company to support such a compassionate organization for the past ten years and we look forward to continuing our support for years to come.“
Proudly Canadian owned and operated, Cactus Club Cafe has emerged as the leader in the casual fine dining industry in Canada. By remaining committed to delivering an addictive dining experience to our guests, we have in turn established a commanding lead position in our industry. To date, there are 20 Cactus Club locations within BC and Alberta. The hub of Cactus operations, the head office, is located in Vancouver, BC. www.cactusclubcafe.com
For over 25 years, the Make-A-Wish Foundation of BC & Yukon has been granting the heartfelt wishes of children 3-17 years who are battling a life-threatening illness. Wishes typically fall under one of four categories: I wish to go, I wish to meet, I wish to have, or I wish to be and are as unique as the children who make them. The objective of Make-A-Wish is to create a memorable experience for both the wish child and his/her family that is not clouded by financial worries. This year, the BC Chapter expects to grant 120 wishes. www.makeawishbc.ca