Joe’s Crab Shack is doing its part to end childhood hunger in the U.S. by joining Share Our Strength’s Great American Dine Out, presented by American Express, as a participating restaurant. The Dine Out brings together restaurants from across the country and encourages millions of consumers to dine out and end childhood hunger in America.

All 116 Joe’s Crab Shack locations throughout the country will donate a portion of food sales during the week of Sept. 21-28, 2008, to Share Our Strength. Additionally, Joe’s Crab Shack is creating its own, one-of-a-kind t-shirt that customers can purchase for $10 each and wear as a unique way to further support Share Our Strength’s work to increase and facilitate kids’ access to nutritious foods where they live, learn and play. A percentage of Joe’s t-shirt sales also will benefit Share Our Strength.

“Childhood hunger is a significant issue in our country and Joe’s Crab Shack is committed to reducing the number of children that are forced to fight hunger every day,” says Ray Blanchette, CEO of Joe’s Crab Shack. “It means a lot to us to provide not only financial support, but as we do with all our restaurants, we wanted to create a memorable experience when customers come in to dine which is why we developed the t-shirts.”

“One in every six children in America suffers from uncertain access to the healthy, nutritious foods they need to avoid the lifelong and devastating consequences of hunger,” says Billy Shore, the founder of Share Our Strength. “We are in striking distance of ending childhood hunger and by in by institutionalizing what we know has worked; joining forces together we can make this vision a reality.”

In addition to Joe’s Crab Shack, more than 300 restaurants will take part in this historic initiative. The campaign has been endorsed by many of the country’s top chefs including Chef and Author Mary Sue Milliken, Chef Tom Collichio, as well as industry executives Danny Meyer, Dick Rivera and Wally Doolin.

Adding to the list of endorsements is Food Network Star and the host of hit TV series Diners, Drive-Ins and Drives, Guy Fieri. Fieri is the national spokesperson for the Dine Out.

To read more about Share Our Strength’s Great American Dine Out see QSR’s recent online exclusive: Wiping Out Childhood Hunger