On October 5, 2005, restaurants across the country
will band together in a “Dine for America” day, a national fundraising
effort to support the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund and help
those affected by Hurricane Katrina and their families.

A web site, www.dineforamerica.org, will be launched on Thursday,
September 8th, where participating restaurants—independent operators and
national chains, table-service and quick-service—can choose from a menu of
options on how they would like to participate. Additionally,
turnkey marketing and promotional materials including posters,
tray liners, table tents, and artwork for donation canisters will be
available for participating restaurants.Restaurants interested in participating should go to www.restaurant.org
for more information.

Operators can donate all or part of their sales or proceeds on October
5, make a donation for each guest served, make a donation for each sale
of a specific item, or make a donation of a set amount. One hundred
percent of the funds raised will go to the hurricane victims and their
families via the Red Cross.

“In 2001, Dine for America mobilized more than 8,000 restaurants and
raised more than $20 million,” says association President and Chief
Executive Officer Steven C. Anderson. “We hope to exceed that goal with
this effort. Restaurants are the cornerstone of local communities
across the nation and that is especially evident in the aftermath of
Hurricane Katrina, which devastated the lives, homes, and businesses of
millions of Americans.”

“This is an opportunity for the industry to come together for a
common cause and help our neighbors in the South in a time of desperate
need. While short-term relief efforts are ongoing, the long-term effects
are yet to be known and the rebuilding of the Gulf Coast region will
take a long time. Not only do these Americans need help today, but they
will need help throughout the fall,” says Steve Stoddard, CEO,
Restaurants Unlimited, Inc.