Give $5, Receive $5 and Help Willy’s Raise $22K in 22 Days for Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta June 1-22

Even though school’s out, Willy’s Mexicana Grill is helping teens learn topics hotter than salsa this June. Willy’s $22K in 22 Days promotion sets sights on raising $22K for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta Workforce Development Program that gives high school students volunteer and leadership opportunities to prep them for successful careers. From June 1-22, each Willy’s guest who donates $5 to the program will receive a $5 Willy’s coupon to redeem on his or her next visit. Willy’s likes to turn its birthday month into an opportunity to give back to the community. Way to win, all around, opening doors to brighter futures for teens and $5 savings to put toward some of summer’s favorite foods -- Willy’s signature fresh-made burritos, tacos and bowls. Coupon valid at all Willy’s locations except Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

Chris Hadermann of Southern Proper Hospitality Named “Man of the Year” by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

Chris Hadermann of Southern Proper Hospitality was named Atlanta’s “Man of the Year” by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) at a gala at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta on June 11. Hadermann, a founding partner of the Atlanta-based restaurant group, raised $191,595 during the LLS Man & Woman of the Year fundraising competition. Monies raised in the competition go toward the LLS mission of eradicating leukemia, lymphoma and other life-threatening blood cancers. Hadermann competed in honor of his grandfather, who lost his life to leukemia, as well as local blood cancer survivors Emory and Norah, LLS’s Boy & Girl of the Year. Southern Proper Hospitality restaurants pitched in to Hadermann’s fundraising efforts in a number of creative ways. Gypsy Kitchen, The Southern Gentleman, Smokebelly BBQ, The Big Ketch, The Blind Pig Parlour Bar and Milton’s Cuisine & Cocktails staged special cocktail promotions, donating $1 to LLS for every drink sold -- matched dollar for dollar by Tito’s Handmade Vodka. Other efforts included a Great Gatsby-themed dinner and party at The Blind Pig; a garden dinner hosted by Milton’s; a golf tournament at the Polo Golf & Country Club; and a “Sip & Savor” fundraiser at The Shops Buckhead Atlanta. Hadermann also raised funds via his Facebook page and his personal MWOY page. He is now competing for LLS Man of the Year, which the winner will be announced in July.

High Five: Willy’s Trades $5 Coupons for $5 Donations to Boys & Girls Clubs during $21K in 21 Days through June 21

The second $21K in 21 Days race began June 1, but Willy’s Mexicana Grill Burritoheads can still run to their favorite Willy’s location to give and receive through June 21. For every $5 Willy’s guests donate to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta (BGCMA), they will take home a $5 coupon valid on a return visit through July 21. All that green goes toward funding the Healthy Lifestyles Positive Sprouts and Gardens program at the BGCMA Carver House and teaching kids about nutrition and daily physical activity. Eating healthily is easy at Willy’s, where veggies, salsa and guac are prepared fresh daily, and grilled chicken, beef and pork have never seen a freezer’s interior décor. Peek behind the burrito bar to see the fresh ingredients that go into Willy’s burritos, tacos, quesadillas and salads.

Willy’s Mexicana Grill is Hot on the Heels of Salsa, Salsa for Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta July 15

Salsa, Salsa for Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta (BGCMA) peppers Piedmont Park’s Magnolia Hall with salsa eats and beats for fun and fitness from 6-7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 15. Young chefs representing various BGCMA will offer their healthy salsa creations for sampling and judging. Some recipes use ingredients raised in Boys & Girls Club gardens. While judges deliberate, professional salsa dancers show how it’s done then call everyone out onto the dance floor for some fancy footwork lessons. Event sponsor Willy’s Mexicana Grill provides burritos and chow to refuel bodies in motion, and Atlanta Falcons cheerleaders toss their own blend of pep into the celebration. Before leaving, guests will know who dominates the dance floor and which BGCMA salsa creation wins a spot on a Willy’s salsa bar for a day. Attendance is limited; click here to RSVP. 

#SummerOfWillys continues with 20th Anniversary Party and $5 Burritos July 13 at North Buckhead Location

Willy’s Mexicana Grill founder and CEO Willy Bitter is throwing a 20th anniversary party and you’re invited. On Monday, July 13 at the very first Willy’s located at 4377 Roswell Road, stop in for $5 burritos all day, a spin of the prize wheel (11 a.m.-2 p.m. and 5-7 p.m.) for a chance to win Willy’s swag and to enter to win a $50 Willy’s gift card. At 11:30 a.m., Bitter will present a $20,145 check to Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta resulting from Willy’s $20K or 20 Days fundraising event, which took place at all Atlanta-area and Athens locations in June. Willy’s will continue to thank guests at all locations throughout the #SummerOfWillys celebration with a new limited-time-only habanero peach salsa beginning July 13 and a special anniversary collectors' cup ($2.95 to purchase; $1 refills with entrée purchase through October 31). Guests who purchase an anniversary cup now through August 31 will receive a Zoo Atlanta coupon for $5 off a ticket or $10 off a zoo membership while supplies last.

Willy’s Mexicana Grill Unwraps #SummerOfWillys $20K or 20 Days of Giving Anniversary Celebration

Gold for 50th, silver for 25th. Twenty-year anniversary? $20K of green. On June 1, Willy’s Mexicana Grill kicks off #SummerOfWillys, a season-long 20th anniversary celebration, by presenting a $5 Willy’s coupon to customers who donate to Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta. Through the $20K or 20 Days fundraiser, Willy Bitter, founder and namesake of Willy’s Mexicana Grill, flips the gifting to support the community that has kept Atlanta’s first burrito restaurant in the forefront for 20 years. The goal is to raise $20,000 for Positive Sprouts, the Boys & Girls Clubs’ healthy-eating initiative, in 20 days or less. When guests stop in for Willy’s fresh-made favorites like the popular new Baja burrito or Frito burrito, they can add a $5 donation to their tab. In return, they’ll receive a $5 cash coupon to use on their next visit. The fundraiser runs through June 20 at Atlanta- and Athens-area Willy’s locations. Coupon expires July 12, 2015 and is valid at all locations except Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. 

Time to Dust Off Your Grass Skirt and Bust Out Those Hula Hips!

Thanks to RA Sushi, we don’t have to wait for the Jimmy Buffett concert to whip out our hula skirts and coconut bras this year! The Midtown restaurant is celebrating its one year anniversary next Thursday, July 15 with a luau starting at 7 p.m. The event will benefit the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta and will feature tropical décor, DJ Krillz spinning tunes indoors, food and drink specials and some unique live entertainment. Say aloha to the steel drummers and fire eaters who will be performing on the patio, and get in line for the limbo contest at 9 p.m. for a chance at winning a $100 or $50 RA Sushi gift certificate. The evening will also include a raffle with prize giveaways at 8 p.m., 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. (tickets are only $5 and benefit the Boys & Girls Club of Metro Atlanta) for the chance to snag treasures such as Braves tickets and a Tomahawk Chop roll dinner at RA Sushi and a sushi and sake party for 10 people. Quench that thirst you will surely work up while “in limbo” with drink specials like the Stawberry Gingerita, Mai Tai, Chang Lager or Tsunami Punch ($5). The list of luau food specials features pineapple cheese wontons, grilled short ribs, Poki bowl, an Island roll and a Hawaii 5-0 roll ($6 - $10). Two dollars from the purchase of each food and drink special goes straight to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta, too.

RA Sushi: 1080 Peachtree Street at 1010 Midtown; 404-267-0114.