Jamaica Applebee’s donates $10G to YMCA

An Applebee’s restaurant recently opened in Jamaica with a grand opening celebration that raised more than $10,000 for a local YMCA.
The grand opening party on Saturday, November 20 had over 1,000 guests and was a “record breaking” fundraiser, according to Zane Tankel, chief executive officer of Apple-Metro, Inc, the metropolitan areas franchisee for Applebee’s.
Tankel said that the opening of each new restaurant starts off with a celebration and donation to the community. “We have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the communities this way,” he said.
The restaurant, which officially opened to customers on Monday, November 22, donated all the proceeds from the event to the Jamaica YMCA on Parsons Boulevard.
“Donations like these are vital to the community,” said Cedric Dew, executive director of the Jamaica YMCA. “This allows us to underwrite many programs, ensuring no one will be turned away because of financial reasons.”
One of the programs the donation will help fund is the YMCA Strong Kids Campaign. This campaign provides the finances that allow membership and program assistance each year for children and families who otherwise wouldn’t be able to enjoy the benefits of the Y.
“Many companies come into the community, make tons of money and never give back,” said Dew. “But Applebee’s gets their social responsibility and is a proven community supporter.”
This is the third of four Applebee’s opening in the city area this year, with the fourth planned to open in December in the newly opened Sky View Center in Flushing. The Sky View Center Applebee’s will have a similar opening celebration with the proceeds going to the Flushing YMCA.
The restaurant is located at 161-19 Jamaica Avenue, and its hours are Sunday-Thursday 11 a.m.-11 p.m. and Friday-Saturday 11 a.m.-12 a.m.