SOUTH BEND – The Downtown Dining Association (DDA) of South Bend hosted a press conference in the new Beacon Children’s atrium, 615 N. Michigan Street. Restaurant owners to present Kreg Gruber of Beacon Health System a donation of $30,000. The funds were raised during this year’s Winter and Summer Restaurant Weeks which ran January 23rd – February 5th and June 26th – July 9th, 2017. Since the partnership started four years ago, a total $110,000 has been raised by the Downtown Dining Association through restaurant week promotions to support Beacon Children’s Hospital.

“We are incredibly grateful for the Downtown Dining Association for all they do to support children and families right here in Michiana,” says Kreg Gruber, COO of Beacon Health System. “We are proud to be a part of this community, and we are thankful for the generosity of the DDA through Summer and Winter Restaurant Weeks, for all they do for people throughout our region.”

In attendance were Mark McDonnell, Phil Schreiber, and Peg Dalton with the DDA, Kreg Gruber with Beacon Health System and Jill Scicchitano with DTSB, Inc.

The DDA of South Bend is a consortium of restaurant owners created to promote the variety of unique and locally-owned dining options in the downtown area. Participating members of the DDA are: Baker’s at The DoubleTree by Hilton, Café Navarre, Chicory Café, Cinco5, East Bank Emporium, Fiddler’s Hearth, LaSalle Grill, LaSalle Kitchen & Tavern, LePeep, Linden Grill, Render Kitchen & Bar, South Bend Brew Werks, South Bend Chocolate Café, Sunny Italy, Tippecanoe Place, Tapastrie, Vegetable Buddies, and Woochi Japanese Fusion & Bar. Through marketing and special events, the association hopes to increase awareness of the multitude of dining options in downtown and create an invigorated downtown atmosphere.