Eat @ Miami Chili's Today: 100% of Profits Donated to St. Jude

You know you've thought about it: what if your child was sick?--I mean really sick....stop and imagine that for a moment. When I was pregnant with Elle, people would ask if I hoped for a boy or a girl. I always answered that I didn't care, I just wanted a healthy baby. I'm sooooooo thankful that both Skyler and Elle are healthy, and when I read stories like this (click on the link and scroll to pg.5), that an old friend from high school wrote (that *will* make you cry, so be prepared) I am immediately reminded that I am a very, very lucky mom.

Today (September 28), Chili's is donating ALL profits to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The kids are out of school here in Miami, so you could pop in with the fam for dinner or lunch, and do a great thing, really easily. Seriously, all you have to do is eat some fajitas or something, and in effect, you're donating the price of your meal to St. Jude, a research hospital for children where "all patients accepted for treatment at St. Jude are treated without regard to the family's ability to pay." Wow. Imagine the feeling of relief that would wash over you if you had a seriously ill child, perhaps terminally ill, and cost of treatment was taken out of the picture. *That* is what you are doing for a fellow parent by sitting down at Chili's and sharing a meal with your family today.

After years working for SYSCO and Tropical and selling directly to restaurants, I like supporting locally-owned restaurants for several reasons, but when a national chain hosts an event like this, I get really excited. FYI, this is a nationwide event, called The Big Day, so if you're a non-Miami reader, you can click here to find the Chili's closest to where you live.

I have to admit, I have a soft spot for Chili's anyway...when I was in high school, Chili's was one of the cool places to hang out, so we went there a lot. I also like they have a grilled chicken breast option on their kids menu instead of just the fried chicken tenders that most restaurants offer. Skyler likes their salmon. They have a decent "healthy" menu, and several fish selections. They're usually happy to modify their dishes to meet your needs. Of the casual chains, most of which I've sworn off for one reason or another, Chili's still gets a thumbs up for those reasons.

Photo credit: aguivan/sxc.hu