For Immediate Release

Media Contacts:
Cindy Metzger, Easter Seals
P: 312.551.7144
www.easterseals.com/media 

Tracy Marks, Sweet Tomatoes
P: 858.675.1684
http://www.sweettomatoes.com


Easter Seals to Receive a Sweet Donation
Sweet Tomatoes Restaurants Raise $35,000 for Easter Seals this June 

(Chicago, July 25, 2012) -- Sweet Tomatoes announced today that their annual Easter Seals fundraiser hosted at 34 regional restaurants raised $35,000. The money was raised from the sale of 34,544 bags of homemade chocolate chip cookies at Sweet Tomatoes restaurants inIllinois,Kansas,Missouri,Washington,Oregon,Utah,Colorado,Georgia,North Carolina andArizona during the month of June. This was the sixth year of the Sweet Tomatoes and Easter Seals partnership with cookie campaign contributions reaching more than $179,000 to date.

“We thank Sweet Tomatoes for their continued support,” said James E. Williams, Jr., president and chief executive officer, Easter Seals, Inc. “Sweet Tomatoes is helping Easter Seals create life-changing solutions for children and adults with disabilities.”

 “We’re thrilled at the participation we saw in the communities this year. We decided to work with Easter Seals because it reminded us so much of Sweet Tomatoes in its core values,” said Lesa Pickinpaugh, General Manager,Schaumburg. “They have a passion to serve, exemplify integrity and show their respect for each individual by helping all people with disabilities. In working with Easter Seals, we know our donation will make a difference and benefit families within Sweet Tomatoes communities.”

The funds raised will benefit nine Easter Seals affiliates, including Easter Seals Colorado, Easter Seals DuPage & the Fox Valley Region,EasterSealsGoodwillNorthernRockyMountain, Easter Seals Metropolitan Chicago, Easter Seals Oregon, Easter Seals Southwest Human Development, Easter Seals Washington, Easter Seals North Georgia and Easter SealsUCP NorthCarolina.

About Sweet Tomatoes
Celebrating over 30 years, Sweet Tomatoes was founded in 1978 in San Diego and currently operates 124 salad buffet-style restaurants across the western, southern and eastern portions of the United States. Sweet Tomatoes creates an exceptional, all-you-care-to-eat dining experience with a daily selection of made-from-scratch soups and salads and hand-crafted muffins, focaccia, breads and tasty desserts. By combining high-quality, farm-fresh and scratch-made foods for a fixed price, the restaurants provide guests with the freedom to create their own wholesome meals. The restaurant concept is built around fresh prepared, great-tasting recipes with a salad bar full of seasonal vegetables and tossed salads prepared exhibition-style every 20 minutes. Sweet Tomatoes restaurants are open daily for lunch and dinner. For more information, visit www.sweettomatoes.com.

About Easter Seals
Easter Seals is the leading non-profit provider of services for individuals with autism, developmental disabilities, physical disabilities and other special needs. For more than 90 years, we have been offering help, hope, and answers to children and adults living with disabilities, and to the families who love them. Through therapy, training, education and support services, Easter Seals creates life-changing solutions so that people with disabilities can live, learn, work and play in their communities. For more information visit www.easterseals.com.