South Fla. eatery holds fundraiser for Fisher House Organization

June 5, 2012 - PRLog -- LEILA RESTAURANT HOSTS FUNDRAISER FOR THE FISHER HOUSE

The New Patio at Leila’s launches its Summer Happy Hours and Supports our Heroes

(West Palm Beach--)  Leila Restaurant introduces its New Patio at Leila’s during a fundraising event for the Fisher House in West Palm Beach on Wednesday, June 13th, from 6-8 P, with special appearance by Disc Jockey Adam Lipson. A requested donation to the Fisher House of $10 entitles guests to a complimentary drink ticket, complimentary hors d’oeuvres, 2 raffle tickets and gift bag.  Subsequent drinks will be offered at 2 for 1 price.  The event which is open to the public, will also serve as the ‘kick-off’ for Leila’s Summer Happy Hours.

Host Committee Members include local downtown influentials Roy Assad, Mike Tarafa, TK (Turgut Kaytmaz), Todd Herbst, Ben Lubin, Michael Price,  Robert Riva, Tommy Morrison, Sarah Scheffer, Candace Jorritsma, Arvo Katajisto, Adam Lipson and Maribel Alvarez.  Downtown restaurants and businesses generously offering their support to raise funds for the Fisher House include The Blind Monk, Roccos Tacos, Grease, City Cellar, Chroma, China Beach Bistro, Ultima Gym and Hot Pie.  

“We are honored to have been asked to assist in generating awareness about the Fisher House and we’re so thankful to all our fellow downtown business owners for offering their support,” says Alex Awad, owner of Leilas.  

Leila’s New Patio is sure to become downtown ‘après work’ hot spot, offering 2 for 1 drinks Monday through Friday from 5-9, and special Bar-bites starting at $6.  The newly decorated lounge-like Patio is the perfect setting to meet up with friends, play backgammon, enjoy cocktails, sample specialties and/or stay for dinner.  

About the Fisher House
A Fisher House is "a home away from home" for families of patients receiving medical care at major military and VA medical centers.  Families do not pay to stay at a Fisher House.
The Fisher House program is a unique private-public partnership that supports America's military in their time of need. The program recognizes the special sacrifices of our men and women in uniform and the hardships of military service by meeting a humanitarian need beyond that normally provided by the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs.
Because members of the military and their families are stationed worldwide and must often travel great distances for specialized medical care, Fisher House Foundation donates "comfort homes," built on the grounds of major military and VA medical centers. These homes enable family members to be close to a loved one at the most stressful times - during the hospitalization for an unexpected illness, disease, or injury.

The local Fisher House is an eight-bedroom facility situated on the West Palm Beach VA Medical Center campus. It has been in operation since 1995, and has accommodated approximately 10,100 families.  Each guest room has a laptop with Wi-Fi Internet, flat screen TV, and a DVD/VCR player. Families will discover a full kitchen stocked with coffee, snacks, bagels, cereals, and other food items to assist families with their cooking needs. The living room has an extensive library of novels, references, books on tape, DVDs and games. Behind the house is an outdoor patio for families to take respite after caring for their loved one at the Medical Center.

The Friends of the Fisher House, a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization, supports the various needs of the West Palm Beach VA Fisher House. Board Members of The Friends of the Fisher House volunteer their time and talents to raise funds for food, supplies and necessary capital improvements. The Friends of Fisher House have also established a voucher program with selected area hotels to take care of families when Fisher House has no vacancies.

It is expected that demand for rooms will continue to increase, especially now that the West Palm Beach VA Medical Center has a major cancer treatment facility. The Friends of Fisher House believe that America owes a debt to these veterans - that each of these families deserves to be fully supported in their time of need with safe and convenient lodging while in the West Palm Beach area for medical treatment. One Board member summed up this obligation to our veterans with one simple statement – “We have a ‘land of the free’ because of the brave!”