Santiago’s raises nearly $400,000 in annual campaign

Colorado-based Santiago’s Mexican Restaurants raised more than $392,000 for Realities For Children, the recipient of the 28 restaurants’ annual charity campaign.  With the help of Lion Home Service matching its donations up to $100,000, Santiago’s surpassed its $225,000 donation goal by 74 percent — a tribute to the community that supports Santiago’s causes.

Santiago’s, with restaurants in Loveland, Johnstown, Longmont, Brighton, Frederick, Greeley, Lafayette, Fort Lupton and Boulder, as well as metropolitan locations, conduct fundraisers that the founding family considers to be “faithfully authentic” to its core values. 

Realites For Children is a local non-profit organization with several programs and direct services for children in Northern Colorado who have suffered abuse, neglect or are at-risk.  Realities For Children provides emergency funding for children in Boulder, Weld, Adams and Larimer counties, when all other resources are exhausted; supports the recovery process through youth activities, critical item distributions and resources to its 38 partner youth agencies; and helps break the cycle of abuse through special direct grant programs and scholarships. 

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“The overwhelming enthusiasm and record-level of donations will help us meet the unmet needs of children who have been abused, neglected, abandoned or at-risk through our direct services, emergency support and scholarships. We are so thankful for Santiago’s partnership and fundraising, as it is helping us set more fires in more hearts to do good, inspiring change in the lives of children in need,” Craig Secher, president and founder of Realities For Children, said in a written statement. 

Donors included Santiago’s customers, restaurant owners, vendors, friends and family combined, as well as donations and fundraising through the annual golf tournament that included a $100,000 matching donation from Lion Home Service. This year’s charity campaign took place from March 1 through Aug. 2.

“We are so grateful for the gifts from the community, marveling at the collective generosity, said Rachel Wells, second-generation owner of Santiago’s whose mother founded (and still operates) the restaurants with family- and community-minded values.  “We are all so inspired by their programs and their reach in Northern Colorado, touching and helping so many young lives.”

Since launching its charity campaign in 2003, Santiago’s has donated more than $1,582,854 to family-focused, grass-roots nonprofits that have a direct impact on children’s lives.