The owners of The Avenue Restaurant in Glendale are expanding their charitable causes outside the community by giving back to the victims of Hurricane Harvey with a Country Night BBQ Fundraiser on Friday, Sept. 8.
Robert Schoemig, one of the owners of The Avenue — located at 71-22 Myrtle Ave. — took an idea presented by two of the restaurant’s staffers and immediately created the fundraiser.
“It was actually the idea of two of my staff members, Elisabeth Dempsey and Christine Arato,” Schoemig said. “We at The Avenue try to find ways to give back to our community and with that in mind, they said, ‘Could we do a fundraiser like we do for the other organizations and causes in the community?’”
Schoemig, a huge country music fan, jumped at the idea to help the people of Houston who are still recovering after Hurricane Harvey plowed through their city, leaving a path of destruction in its wake.
He still remembers all too well the damage caused when Superstorm Sandy hit the New York area in 2012, and could not pass up helping those in need.
“I also saw first-hand the devastation that Sandy brought to Rockaway, going to my brother’s house,” he said. “It was absolutely an (awe-inspiring) moment in my life. I was able to leave and go home; these people had to stay and there was nothing I could do about it. So, with that mindset, when they asked me to organize this fundraiser, it was a no-brainer.”
During the fundraiser, everyone is invited to come down and enjoy delicious barbecue food, good country music, and, of course, drinks.
For $30 customers can partake in the BBQ buffet that will feature pulled pork, chili, pasta salad, hot dogs, Jack Daniels Boozy Beans and ribs from 8:30 to 9: 30 p.m., and the first drink is free.
Country music will be played all night long either by a DJ or Schoemig’s personal playlist with more than three hours of country hits. There will also be a 50/50 raffle to help raise money.
All money raised through this fundraiser will go to benefit Team Rubicon USA Disaster Relief. For those who cannot make it to the barbecue, Schoemig asks if everyone can go online and make a donation at fundraise.teamrubiconusa.org/fundraiser/1084856.
