BD’s Mongolian Grill (BD’s), the nation’s leading stir-fry bowl concept, hosted a celebratory check presentation at its Naperville, Illinois location to commemorate the success of its fundraising partnership with Organization for Autism Research (OAR).

During Autism Awareness Month in April, BD’s invited guests to participate in the fundraiser by donating (minimum $1 donation) and placing a sunshine pin-up modeled after OAR’s signature emblem with their name in a dedicated area at all of BD’s 18 locations nationwide. Guests were also be able to add a donation to their BD’s online order. 100 percent of donations and BD’s additional contribution went directly to OAR.

BD’s raised more than $21,000 in guest donations and a company match.

Its connection to OAR and the inspiration for raising awareness for Autism began last April when the brand was introduced to nine-year-old Maddox Yates-Benter and his family. Maddox had developed an affinity for hitting the gong at the BD’s location closest to his family’s home. The Naperville restaurant was forced to close due to a burst pipe and nearly kept Maddox from participating in his favorite activity. However, the Naperville restaurant’s General Manager, Kirsten Simmons, sprang into action and opened the restaurant just for Maddox and his dads to hit the gong. The kindness from Kirsten prompted Patrick Dalton, Maddox’s father, to reach out to BD’s directly to share their appreciation, and that’s when CEO Gregg Majewski got involved. Touched by his email, Majewski and his leadership team arranged a free trip to Disney World for Maddox and his family, and did the same for Kirsten for her family. With this connection developed, BD’s and its parent company Craveworthy Brands were compelled to take their commitment to supporting autism awareness and research to the next level.