EDMOND — Crest Foods provides more than 300,000 meals to hungry

Crest Foods donated $21,325 and five truckloads of product to the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, which will help provide food to hungry Oklahomans in 53 central and western counties. The Regional Food Bank was selected, for the third year in a row, as the charity of choice for the 21st annual Crest Foods Invitational Golf Tournament at Oak Tree Country Club on Sept. 21.

“This year, Crest donated 194,000 pounds of food to the Regional Food Bank, which is an increase of 267 percent over last year’s donation,” said Crest o``wner Bruce Harroz. “Crest Foods believes in helping the Regional Food Bank in the fight against hunger and we are pleased to be able to partner with them on this event.”

With the help of companies like Crest, the Regional Food Bank is able to provide enough food to feed 63,600 hungry Oklahomans each week throughout central and western Oklahoma, where one in five children is at risk of hunger every day.

For more information about the Regional Food Bank, call 972-1111 or visit www.regionalfoodbank.org.

Crest Foods, locally owned and operated since 1946, has six metro locations: one in Edmond; two stores in Midwest City; one in Moore; and two stores in Oklahoma City. For more information on Crest, call 330-8100 or visit www.crestfoodsok.com.



Edmond Sleep Inn & Suites receives award

The Sleep Inn & Suites hotel of Edmond has received the Community Hero award from Choice Hotels International, which serves to recognize properties and individuals in the Choice family that have demonstrated a strong commitment to excellence. The award is part of the Awards for Property Excellence (APEX) awards program from Choice Hotels, franchisor of the Sleep Inn brand. The Sleep Inn & Suites hotel is one of only two Choice brand hotels in the state to receive a 2009 APEX award.

The Community Hero APEX award is given to hotels that, and individuals who, are actively involved in giving back to their community. The Sleep Inn & Suites hotel represents the cream of the crop among Choice properties in Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas.

“These award winners represent the true essence of hospitality,” said Steve Joyce, president and chief executive officer for Choice Hotels. “Choice is very proud of the Edmond Sleep Inn & Suites hotel, as their dedication to providing the highest level of guest service is the very reason they are now being recognized.”

Here is an excerpt from the hotel’s actual award nomination, which was used in determining each award winner:

“The Sleep Inn & Suites hotel of Edmond, Oklahoma is a beacon of community service. The hotel participates in numerous charitable events and its staff was awarded the Community Service Award from the OK Hotel & Lodging Association. Their active participation includes sponsoring or supporting: the Endeavors Games; Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of Oklahoma; National Multiple Sclerosis Society - Oklahoma Chapter; University of Central Oklahoma College of Media Arts & Design; American Cancer Society; American Red Cross; Oklahoma Christian University; and many others.”



Agritourism rolling workshop scheduled for Nov. 5 in SW Oklahoma

Registration is open for the second Oklahoma Agritourism Rolling Workshop on Nov. 5. Seating is limited and early reservations are encouraged.

The tour will feature TG Farms, the Chisholm Trail Heritage Center, Sooner J Ranch, Woods and Waters Winery and Red Silo Productions. Abby Cash, Oklahoma Agritourism Director, said anyone interested in becoming involved in this type of business venue will find the tour useful.

“The agritourism businesses we will tour offer an incredibly diverse variety of attractions and will present a lot of great ideas,” she said. “We will visit two fall attractions, an outstanding Accredited Agritourism Winery, a working ranch and hunting lodge, and a farm and ranch attraction museum.”

Participants will also receive instruction and tips regarding generating media interest and effectively dealing with media at agritourism venues, she said. Registration is $25 and includes meals. Registration after Nov. 1 is $35.

Registration forms are available online at www.oklahomaagritourism.com or by calling Cash at 522-5652. The bus tour will depart TG Farms in Newcastle at 7:30 a.m. Nov. 5.