Helping out a local organization and enjoying a night out will go hand-in-hand on Tuesday.
The United Way of Chatham-Kent has partnered with over a dozen restaurants for Paint the Town Red. The campaign is associated with Giving Tuesday, which is a national initiative that raises money for and awareness of issues that affect different communities.
This year, the Chatham-Kent branch of the United Way is aiming to tackle "#Unignorable issues".
Tom Slager, director of donor engagement and communications, said there are eight matters that have been identified as unignorable issues in Chatham-Kent, including mental health and addiction, education equity, and domestic violence.
"There are things that affect every community and sometimes they are swept under the rug," said Slager. "We have to make [ceratin topics] unignorable and acknowledge that the issue is there and then put the resources forward."
The United Way has over 30 programs that help residents dealing with these issues. Money raised during Paint the Town Red will go directly into funding those programs.
Last year's Paint the Town Red campaign raised $4,098. This year, Slager said they're hoping to raise anywhere from $5,000-$6,000.
"This is our third year doing this so people are more aware of it and the restaurants have heard of it," he said. "Many of the restaurants that are participating -- this is their second or third year participating -- have seen the benefits themselves."
Residents can help the campaign by going to one of the participating restaurants listed below on Tuesday and a portion of the proceeds will go towards the United Way.
Dresden:
- Subway - 438 St. George Street
- The Black Goose Grill - 525 James Street
- James Street Eatery - 504 James Street
- Subway - 30 McNaughton Ave
- Central Tavern - 24121 Winterline Road
- Mike's Place - 541 Queen Street
- Casa Bella Restaurant - 425 Riverview Drive
- Boston Pizza - 780 St. Clair Street
- Mamma Maria's Ristorante - 231 King Street West
- USB Ultimate Sports Bar - 304 St. Clair Street
- Subway - 447 St. Clair Street - 75 Keil Drive South - 80 Grand Ave West
- Home Run Restaurant - 202 Chatham Street South
- Molly & Oj's - 875 Mariners Road
- Bayside Brewery - 970 Ross Lane