Elachee getting $2,000 grant from Darden Restaurants

GAINESVILLE - Elachee Nature Science Center has been selected to receive a$2,000 grant as part of the Restaurant Community Grants program from the Darden Restaurants Foundation, Inc.<br /> <br /> The grants program, now in its third year, empowers each restaurant in the Darden family of brands to help award a $1,000 grant to support local community programs. <br /> <br /> Olive Garden in Buford and Red Lobster in Gainesville chose Elachee to receive the donation from their specific locations. The donation will help fund Elachee's continuing conservation efforts in the 1,400-acre Chicopee Woods Nature Preserve.<br /> <br /> "We appreciate this opportunity to partner with Darden Restaurants for improving trail access and conditions as well as conservation within the nature preserve for our 30K+ visitors a year."- Andrea Timpone, CEO and President of Elachee<br /> <br /> "We strive to make a positive impact in all the communities our restaurants serve," saidGene Lee, Darden's president and chief operating officer. "Our employees are incredibly passionate about getting directly involved in their local communities, and ourRestaurant Community Grants program enables each of our restaurant teams to make a difference right in their own backyard."<br /> <br /> For more information about the Darden Foundation, please visitwww.dardenfoundation.com. For additional information on Elachee Nature Science Center, please visit www.elachee.org.