City Barbeque donated 12,500 dollars to non-profit Resurrecting Lives Foundation, whose mantra is “Resurrect a hero; strengthen the nation.” The donation was in conjunction with the barbecue restaurant’s anniversary celebration in January, highlighting 15 years of giving back to the community in which it serves. The donation was raised directly through sales of City Barbeque reusable tumblers purchased by customers for $5 with the perk of receiving free refills through March.

“I am just so very grateful at your generosity and the success of the campaign.  You are wonderful for doing this for our returning heroes,” said Founder and Executive Director, Dr. Chrisanne Gordon. “We also had a few veterans come forward with questions about their injuries, and we are assisting them currently, so it was a perfect timing, and we cannot thank you enough.”

Resurrecting Lives Foundation assists in the recovery and reintegration of Afghanistan and Iraq Veterans by defining the brain pathology and by developing protocols for recovery. They advocate for returning heroes and their families for collaborations with civilian institutions to provide health care, education and employment. As Director of Operations, Eric Kazmierczak explains, “We honor the fallen by taking care of their brothers and sisters who return.”

In addition to the Resurrecting Lives Foundation, companywide charity ties include ongoing partnerships with Future Farmers of America, Elderheart—an organization promoting social awareness for post-traumatic stress disorder in veterans—and Food Rescue, which collaborates with local food banks to freeze and donate any quality leftovers at each City Barbeque location. All locations partner with local organizations to give back to the communities in their backyards. As a company initiative City Barbeque allows any non-profit to host fundraisers at their locations with a percentage of sales brought in going directly back to their cause. In 2014, City Barbeque held almost 2,000 fundraising events for local charities.