Hawkers donates $8,913 to Easterseals

Hawkers Asian Street Fare presented an $8,913 check to Easterseals Florida Thursday, June 14, at the restaurant’s newest location in The Grove Orlando.

The money was collected through Hawkers’s Lanterns of Love Program. Restaurant-goers at all Hawkers locations were asked to contribute donations that would benefit Easterseals Florida, the restaurant’s Senior Director of Marketing Liz Castillo said.

“Hawkers personally donated 10% of sales on the first day of May,” Castillo said. “Then the rest of the month, we asked guests to contribute donations on their own behalf. We had a great turnout. … Our goal was to beat last year’s (donations), and that was right around half of (what we raised this year).”

Hawkers co-owner and co-founder Kaleb Harrell said he got involved with Easterseals Florida because of the work it performs.

“I was looking for a nonprofit to get involved in … a community-driven group that was supporting a part of our community that was underprivileged, especially through no fault of their own,” Harrell said. “Easterseals did that. It’s also a really exciting time to be part of Easterseals … It’s kind of making a really big resurgence.”

Easterseals Florida President and CEO Sue Ventura said Easterseals works with individuals with disabilities.

“Easterseals is a nearly 100-year-old organization that serves children and adults who have disabilities (by) making a difference in their lives (by) bringing them where they could work and live and play in their community,” Ventura said. “We work with people with all types of disabilities. We meet them where they are and see what they need and we try to help them within our program.”

Ventura added Hawkers has been a big supporter of Easterseals since it started its Lanterns of Love program in 2012.

“They are wonderful supporters of the services we’re providing,” she said.