With more than 4,000 votes received from restaurant-goers over the past week, the Oktibbeha County Humane Society was named the grand prize-winner for The Partnership’s 2018 Restaurant Week.
Restaurant Week is an annual charity event where customers at participating restaurants can vote for their choice of three charities to win up to a $5,000 award from Cadence Bank. This year, Oktibbeha County Humane Society, Christian World Missions and United Way of North Central Mississippi were nominated to compete for the grand prize.
OCHS received 4,192, of the more than 7,800 total ballots cast in Restaurant Week from April 22-29.
Rick Welch, president of the OCHS board of directors, said the organization is “absolutely honored” to be selected for the first place prize.
“The community as a whole, I think, really gets it and supports what we do,” Welch said. “We appreciate that because without their help and support we couldn’t do what we do.”
OCHS also won the first place prize in 2013.
OCHS houses pets for adoption at its shelter on Industrial Park Road. The organization also promotes pet welfare, through advocacy for animal rights legislation and through the promotion and facilitating of pet sterilizations.
Christian World Missions, which got 2,843 votes, received $1,000. United Way of North Mississippi, which received 801 votes, won a $500 prize.
Christian World Missions is a faith-based organization that engages in charity work in a variety of ways from youth programs to ministerial events. United Way works with a broad array of local nonprofit organizations to support communities throughout the state.
Central Station Grill was awarded the “Good Eats, Do Good” award for its promoting Restaurant Week and for the number of ballots it generated.
The vote total for this year’s Restaurant Week was down from last year’s, which saw 9,096 ballots cast.
Still, Partnership CEO Scott Maynard said he was pleased with this year’s participation. He added he was happy to work with local restaurants to help promote the work the charities have done in the community.
“We’re privileged to honor these three charities and help them introduce their platforms to the community, while at the same time working with all of our culinary partners across the city to help promote their businesses,” Maynard said.
Alex Holloway was formerly a reporter with The Dispatch.
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