United Way dining certificates — they’re back

Posted

By Lisa Jensen

Special to The SUN

Hot off the presses: United Way dining certificates are once again available for your dining pleasure.

If you’ve been waiting for a special occasion or reason to eat out, grab a United Way dining certificate and support local non-profit organizations while you enjoy a scrumptious meal and well-deserved night out. Take a friend out to lunch at one of your favorite restaurants, or try one of the new establishments in town.

New this year are The Buck Stops Here Market and Eatery, The Peak Deli, Marconi’s Italian Restaurant, The View, JJ’s Chillin’ and Grillin’ in the Fabulous ’50s, and Riff Raff Brewing Company.

Returning favorites to the program are A Chivalrous Shark, Alley House Grille, Back Room Wine Bar, Farrago Market Cafe, Nello’s Bistro, Kip’s Grill and Cantina, Boss Hogg’s Restaurant and Saloon, Smoken Moe’s Unreal BBQ, Buffalo Inn Restaurant and Bar, Coyote Moon Bar and Grill, On the Rocks, Chimney Rock Restaurant and Tavern, Café Colorado, Pagosa Baking Company, Higher Grounds Coffee Company, Two Chicks and a Hippie, Boulder Coffee Cafe, The Rose Restaurant, Shang Hai Chinese Restaurant, Thai Chili, Chavolo’s Mexican Restaurant, Ramon’s Mexican Restaurant, DSP Pizzeria, Pagosa Peaks Pizza and Pagosa Brewing Company.

Whatever you choose, the first thing you need to do is get your hands on a United Way dining certificate. Twenty dollars buys you a certificate worth $20 at any of the restaurants noted above. (Restaurants are listed on the certificate, so you don’t have to remember them all.) Present it to your server when ordering; most restaurants allow you to use multiple certificates at one sitting, as long as your meal totals or exceeds the total value of all certificates. Most also allow you to use the certificates for beverages as well as food items. Please tip your server on the full value of your meal.

United Way thanks all the participating restaurants for their support of non-profit organizations in our community. For every dining certificate redeemed, the restaurant donates $4 to United Way in Archuleta County. This contribution helps United Way meet its 2013-2014 campaign goal of $77,880.

This year, United Way is raising funds for 13 non-profit agency partners meeting needs in the areas of education, health and self-reliance. Education partners are Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Colorado, Girl Scouts of Colorado and Seeds of Learning. Health partner is Axis Health System. Self-reliance partners are American Red Cross Southwest Colorado Chapter, Archuleta County Victim Assistance Program, Habitat for Humanity of Archuleta County, Housing Solutions for the Southwest, Pagosa Outreach Connection, Pagosa Pregnancy Support Center, San Juan Basin Area Agency on Aging, Southwest Conservation Corps and Volunteers of America Southwest Safehouse.

By purchasing United Way dining certificates, you help raise the funds for all of these organizations, you enjoy a great meal at no extra cost to you and your whole community benefits. When you are going to eat out, please purchase and use United Way dining certificates. These certificates are valid for a limited time, through March 31, 2014, so don’t wait.

United Way dining certificates make great gifts for all those people you are grateful for. Treat yourself, treat a friend.

United Way dining certificates are available at the Pagosa Springs Area Chamber of Commerce, the Ross Aragon Community Center and the Pagosa Lakes Recreation Center. You can also purchase them from any of United Way’s partner agencies, or by contacting the local United Way office at 731-0484 or lisaj@unitedway-swco.org.