PDQ teams with PBS to raise money for vets, disabled
A new chain of restaurants is greeting the community with fundraisers for locals.
The Las Vegas PBS Workforce Training and Economic Development program as well as the Vegas PBS Described and Captioned Media Center have teamed with casual restaurant chain PDQ to raise money for each group.
The former provides local veterans with military-friendly employment opportunities among other services. The latter caters to the deaf, hard of hearing, blind and visually impaired.
Starting early next month and lasting through the last Friday in December, 10 percent of all PDQ sales from 4-9 p.m. will go to each group.
Revenue earned Aug. 4, then during the first Friday of every month will go to the Workforce Training and Economic Development Program. Meanwhile, funds gathered Aug. 25 and on the last Friday of each month will go toward the Media Center.
Bruce Spotleson, director of Vegas PBS‘s corporate sponsorships, explained how the partnership came to fruition.
"(PDQ‘s people) were impressed by the breadth and depth of our programs and the resources we offer," he said. "In discussing our mutual desire to help veterans return to society and our workforce, we quickly realized that Vegas PBS and PDQ had compatible goals."
There are two PDQs in Nevada, the first of which opened on 3737 W. Craig Road in North Las Vegas in early March. The second location opened on Sunday at 3010 W. Sahara Ave. in Las Vegas.
Nevada PDQ‘s marketing director Tony Grappo believes the second restaurant came just in time for the four-month-long pair of fundraisers.
"We‘re gonna be able to get a lot more involved in the community. Of course, being in the center of Las Vegas, a lot more people are going to hear about us," he said. "And we‘re looking to build four to eight more locations within the next two years."
PDQ, an acronym for "People Dedicated to Quality," was created in 2011 by Outback Steakhouse Co-Founder Bob Basham on the basis of excellent customer service and high-quality food, according to the chain‘s website.
Grappo said fundraisers like these are what the restaurant chain is all about.
"One of our philosophies is to be involved with the community and give for the sake of giving," he said. "We just believe that our neighbors are our community and if we‘re loyal to them, they‘ll be loyal to us."
Contact May Ortega at mortega@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2908. Find her on Twitter: @MayVOrtega
