September 14, 2009
Contact: Annika Stensson (202) 973-3677, Maureen Ryan (202) 331-5939

(Washington, D.C.) The National Restaurant Association today announced that Alex Ray, owner of Common Man Family of Restaurants in Ashland, N.H., has been named this year's Cornerstone Humanitarian as part of the Association's Restaurant Neighbor Awards. The award, along with a $5,000 donation to his cause, was presented to Ray during an award ceremony in Washington, D.C. The award celebrates the philanthropic spirit of the restaurant industry and serves to inspire others to actively get involved in their communities. American Express is the founding partner of the Restaurant Neighbor Award.

"We are pleased to present Alex Ray with the Cornerstone Humanitarian award," said National Restaurant Association President and CEO Dawn Sweeney. "He has demonstrated a tremendous commitment to serving his community, helping friends and neighbors, and giving back to those in need. Perhaps most admirable is that Alex passes on this sense of community to the employees of his restaurants, encouraging each of them to participate in service projects."

"Congratulations to Alex Ray on receiving this honor. Throughout his career, he has helped many great causes, and we are very proud of his remarkable work," said Mike Somers, President and CEO of the New Hampshire Lodging and Restaurant Association. "New Hampshire restaurateurs are great supporters of their communities, always finding ways to give back and help those less fortunate."

In the past 38 years, Ray's Common Man Family of Restaurants and its 800 employees have been involved in hundreds of fundraisers and company-wide community-service events. Ray supports various causes through events like spaghetti dinners, pancake breakfasts, catered meals for non-profit associations and fundraisers for the library, fire department, the New Hampshire Science Center and a school for the blind.

Today, Ray reimburses employees at his 17 restaurants for community service and allows them to choose their projects. He also sets an example through his community involvements. He helped save the homestead of 19th-century statesman and orator Daniel Webster and turn the 140-acre property into the Webster Place Recovery Center for people with drug and alcohol addictions. He's also building a cooking school in Honduras.

“American Express is proud to partner with the National Restaurant Association to honor restaurants across the country for the invaluable contributions they make to their communities,” said Curtis L. Wilson, Vice President and General Manager, Restaurant Industries Group, American Express. “The impact restaurateurs have in their communities through charitable activities and relief projects is tremendous, and we hope their actions inspire others to do the same.”

The National Restaurant Association and founding partner American Express developed the Restaurant Neighbor Award to raise awareness about the restaurant industry’s contributions in local communities across the country and to inspire other restaurant operators and owners to make even greater contributions in their communities.

The Restaurant Neighbor Award honors charitable contributions in four categories (small business, mid-size business, large business/national chain, and Cornerstone Humanitarian). Each participating state restaurant association selects winners in their respective states that compete with winners from other states for the national award.

Joining Alex Ray in receiving the 2009 Restaurant Neighbor Award are: BJ’s Restaurants, headquartered in Huntington Beach, Calif., with locations nationwide, in the large business category; Rod’s Steak & Seafood Grille in Morristown, N.J. in the mid-size category, and Madam’s Organ in Washington, D.C., in the small business category.

For more information on the award program, as well as more information on national winners and state finalists, visit the National Restaurant Association’s Web site, www.restaurant.org/community.