Partnership and Fundraiser Have Raised Nearly $30,000 in 5 Years for Cancer Research
Arooga’s and the Hershey Bears know how to throw a party, and they’ve been throwing one annually for the past five years for a great cause.
Last Wednesday night, six of Arooga’s restaurants, in partnership with the Hershey Bears, teamed up in support of “Running For Rachel.” There were multiple players present for a meet and greet and autograph signings, and Running for Rachel representatives at the participating locations. With a silent auction for Bears memorabilia, beer collectibles and other items, along with a contribution by Arooga’s, the partnership was responsible for raising $7500, bringing the 5-year total to more than $28,000.
“Through this collaboration with the Hershey Bears and Arooga’s, we’re able to bring Rachel’s story and the fight against cancer to every table,” said Erin Stone, President of Running For Rachel and sister of the charity’s namesake, Rachel Guss, a beloved community member and college student who passed away in November 2011 from duodenal cancer, a rare form of the disease which is extremely difficult to treat.
Since then, family and friends have continued on a mission to raise awareness and funds for gastrointestinal cancer research. On Sunday, April 30, 2017 runners and walkers are invited to gather at City Island in Harrisburg to continue Rachel’s fight against cancer and honor her memory at the annual Running for Rachel 5K Run/Walk by registering here: http://runningforrachel.myevent.com/3/events.htm.
“The Hershey Bears love giving back to the community in various ways and one of the annual highlights is the Running For Rachel Night event,” said Bryan Helmer, Vice President of Hockey Operations. “Our players and staff members were very excited to continue the important partnership with Arooga’s for the fifth anniversary of this fun, yet important event.”
For the fifth year in a row, Arooga’s decided to host the event with the Bears by raising funds in memory of Rachel, who was known by several Arooga’s team members.
“Since its inception, this charity is close to the hearts of the Arooga’s family. As they always do, our neighbors came out to show their support for the Guss family and their cause, and we are so privileged to host this event,” said Arooga’s co-founder and president Gary Huether, Jr. “This is truly a testament to the kindness and generosity of the community and we were thrilled to partner with the Hershey Bears again for another successful fundraiser for Running for Rachel.”
Since opening its first restaurant in Harrisburg, PA in 2008, Arooga’s has strived to offer its guests the ultimate sports bar experience by offering the latest trends in technology and service, and has also paved the way for sports bars everywhere to offer guests healthy dining alternatives by sourcing clean ingredients that are free of antibiotics and hormones, and in many cases certified organic. In addition to 10 corporate locations in Central Pennsylvania, Arooga’s currently has three franchise locations in operation, with locations in New Jersey, New York, Florida, and Massachusetts currently under development.
Arooga’s Grille House & Sports Bar is an innovative full-service casual restaurant and bar with a sports and entertainment focus that combines exceptional food and beverages, with unique concepts, and proprietary operational strategies. Arooga’s Grille House & Sports Bar was founded in July 2008, and currently has franchise agreements for nearly 100 locations in the Eastern U.S. Arooga’s offers franchising opportunities for their “unique sports and entertainment restaurant & bar” concept to qualified multi-unit candidates. For more information, visit www.aroogas.com, or contact Keith Swade, Director of Franchise Development at keithswade@aroogas.com.