Today – Thursday, Oct. 11 – Gerrino Ristorante (96 River St., Hoboken) and Amanda’s (908 Washington St., Hoboken) will donate part of their proceeds to Windows of Hope, a relief effort for the families of food service workers from the World Trade Center.
Angelo Cerrone, the owner of Gerrino Ristorante, learned about the organization through an article in the Daily News entitled "Chef whips up worldwide support for food worker’s kin." The article was about a Manhattan chef named Tom Valenti who is mobilizing restaurants around the nation to participate in Windows of Hope. Velenti is asking restaurants to donate part or all of their revenues on Oct. 11 to raise money for the families of the 79 Windows on the World workers and the hundred of other employees in the World Trade Center food service industry who are among those killed or missing.
"When I saw the article, it really hit home," said Cerrone last week. "I love my people. I’ve had dishwashers here for 10 years. It really tugged at my inner soul, and I jumped right on it."
Cerrone spread the word around town. Amanda’s (908 Washington St., Hoboken) has also agreed to donate a portion of their Oct. 11 proceeds to Windows of Hope.
"The benefit supports the families of the restaurant and food service workers in the World Trade Center," said Joyce Flynn, who owns Amanda’s with her husband Eugene. "It’s incumbent on everyone who has every worked in the restaurant industry – as a waiter, hostess, coat check – to go out to eat that night at a participating restaurant, and there are so many of them."
Participation has spread to more than 6,000 restaurants around the world.
"My advice is that if anyone wants to go out to eat on Oct. 11, they should call their favorite restaurant to see if it’s on board," Cerrone said.
For more information visit the web site www.windowsofhope.org.
More fundraisers
On Thursday, Oct. 11 at 8 p.m., the Cadillac Bar (34 Newark St., Hoboken) is hosting a benefit for The Uniformed Firefighters Association of New York City Widows and Orphans. There will be a live music, along with prizes and giveaways. The benefit is being co-sponsored by The Professional Firefighters Association of New Jersey. Admission is $5. For more information call 659-6767.
Also on Thursday, Oct. 11, Love Sexy (104 Hudson St., Hoboken) will once again donate all proceeds from their Thursday night "Love Collective" to the American Red Cross. The evening will feature four bands and four DJs, including Shirley Temple of Doom. For more information call 656-1136.