Restaurant Neighbor Award 2008 Finalist
Maine

Damariscotta River Grill
Damariscotta, ME

The coastal Maine community is a tight-knit group, and Damariscotta River Grill fits right in with its diverse outreach initiatives to help local nonprofit organizations. Each Christmas season for the past four years, the restaurant helps host and organize the local Big Brothers/Big Sisters Wreath Auction, which brings together local businesses to decorate and donate wreaths as part of the fundraising event’s auction. Last year’s event raised more than $6,000. Damariscotta River Grill also gets its hands sticky with the Healthy Kids Chocolate Fest to benefit the Child Abuse and Neglect Council of Lincoln County. For the past six years, the restaurant has donated time, service, chocolate, champagne and glassware for the event, which this year raised more than $19,000. Other community outreach projects include participation in an Art at the Grill series, a Plates of the Caribbean event and a community supper to benefit the Focus on Agriculture in Rural Maine Schools project.

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