Darden (Olive Garden) Awards Water Trail Grant

Did you know there were three Olive Garden restaurants in the Spokane, Coeur d’Alene area? Well the next time you stop by one for a family meal, thank them for their generosity to the Spokane River Water Trail.

Darden Restaurants Community Grants Program awarded the Forum $3,000 to support development of the State Line project.  Below is the design that the Spokane Conservation District has submitted to agencies in May for permitting.

“At Darden,” writes the Chairman and CEO Clarence Otis Jr., “we have a passion to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others, which is captured in our core purpose: to nourish and delight everyone we serve. We work to achieve that goal by delivering great guest and employee experiences and by enhancing the quality of life in the communities where we do business through volunteer involvement and philanthropic support.”

Darden has over 2000 restaurants (Red Lobster, Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Bahama Breez, Seasons 52, The Capital Grille, Eddie V’s, and the Yard House). Their community giving supports volunteer employee involvement and positively influencing the community in three areas:  Preservation of Natural Resources, Access to Postsecondary Education and Good Neighbor Grants.

Said Andy Dunau, Executive Director of the Forum, “The timing of this grant is perfect. If the agencies complete their permit review process in time, the State Line project could be built this fall.” Dunau went on to say, “This project ties in really well with the new Centennial Trail realignment that just opened, will do a tremendous job of restoring the riparian area, and provide drift boaters, rafters and paddlers’ terrific access. Once we get the green light, we’ll assemble a big volunteer posse to help the Conservation District get the planting done. ”