12-Year-Old Meets Restraunteur Sal Parco

Plans Generous Serving for Governor Sanford

A Unique Recipe to a National Kid-Designed Campaign to Commemorate Hurricane Katrina's Anniversary.

When: Saturday, August 25, 2007 at 2:30 pm

Location: Village Bakery
125 Pitt St
Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464
(843) 216-6771

Who:  Ellison, a 12-year old boy selected to represent the state of South Carolina in a national project sponsored by RandomKid (www.randomkid.org), a non-profit that helps kids help others, which asked students to design an “accessory” for their governors made out of house shaped key chains. The key chains were designed by kids in Iowa sold across the nation to raise money for rebuilding charities in the Gulf Coast region (www.randomkid.org/gulf.html).   To commemorate the 2nd anniversary of Katrina, and bring awareness to the fact that there is still much rebuilding work to be done in the gulf, children will be presenting these accessories to their governors on 8/29/07--two years after Katrina hit the gulf coast. 

What:12-year-old Ellison meets with popular South Carolina Restraunteur Sal Parco, and his Pastry Chef, Steven Twyman--to come up with a  recipe for a   dessert item to sell at all eight of Parco's restaurants--all proceeds to benefit a hurricane relief fund.   Two years after Hurricane Katrina struck the gulf coast, nearly 90,000 people still live in 240 sq. ft. trailers, awaiting permanent homes.  For more on the status of the gulf coast, and need for rebuilding, please see www.randomkid.org/postkatrinaritafacts.asp.  

Contact:   Anne Ginther: (214)383-4743 office/ (612)210-9952 cell


12-year-old Ellison just can't help himself.  He's one entrepreneurial kid.  So when RandomKid President Anne Ginther tapped him to represent the state of South Carolina in a national kid-designed event to commemorate the 2nd anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, Ellison's brain went into overdrive.  RandomKid had asked students to design an "accessory" to be given to their state officials made by linking house-shaped key chains together, forming such things as ties, belts and suspenders. The key chains were designed by students in Iowa and sold across the nation to raise money for rebuilding charities in the Gulf Coast region.  Ellison's design is a Sweet-Grass serving basket, with carabiners trimming the edges.  As he talked about his design with Ginther, a lightbulb clicked on.  

"Hey, I know a pretty famous restaurant owner," Ellison said, "I bet I could come up with some cool dessert item to sell in his restaurants, and the profits could go to rebuild the gulf.  We could even serve them to the governor in the basket I made!"  Ginther agreed it sounded like a great idea.  So did restaurant owner Sal Parco.  

Ellison plans to meet with Parco and his Pastry Chef Steven Twyman Saturday at Parco's Village Bakery to discuss recipe ideas and marketing plans.  He'll bring the basket he made for the governor for inspiration, and possible last minute-tweeking.  Karesh has invited Governor Mark Sanford to receive his "accessory" at one of Parco's restaurants on the second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, August 29. 2007.   "If nothing else, I just want to remind people that the people in the gulf still need our help," says Karesh. Governor Sanford's staff says the governor will likely take a meeting with Karesh, but the location is still to be determined.  


About RandomKid
RandomKid (www.randomkid.org) is a 501c3 non-profit that helps kids to help others. Founded by 12-year-old Iowan Talia Leman in 2005 after uniting kids across the United States to report more than 10 million for Hurricane Katrina and Rita relief, RandomKid now works to educate, mobilize and empower youth to meaningfully impact a broad spectrum of local, national and global needs. Please click here to read about the impact children have made through RandomKid.

About Sal Parco:
Sal Parco owns and operates eight restaurants in the Charleston area, each offering diners a variety of choices and each as successful as the last. From the original Mustard Seed sprung forth the wildly successful Boulevard Diner, a handful of other Mustard Seed locations, Sette, Village Bakery, and Long Point Grille. Per Karesh's suggestion, Parco plans to add a dessert item to the menus in all of his restaurants, and give all the profits to RandomKid's Rebuild The Gulf Fund--inspired by a national task force of kids from across the USA who have made it their mission to help rebuild the gulf. The children direct 90% of the funds to Habitat for Humanity's Operation Home Delivery to build homes in the gulf, and 10% to RandomKid to help kids help others.


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