[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 111 (Thursday, September 8, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1806]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


HONORING STEVE PALMER, OWNER OF PALMER PLACE RESTAURANT ON WINNING THE 
                       RESTAURANT NEIGHBOR AWARD

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                          HON. DANIEL LIPINSKI

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 8, 2005

  Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Steve Palmer, owner 
of Palmer Place Restaurant and winner of the National Restaurant 
Association Restaurant Neighbor Award.
  The Restaurant Neighbor Award is a component of the Association's 
Cornerstone initiative, a comprehensive effort to advance and promote 
the restaurant industry's role as the cornerstone of community 
involvement, the cornerstone of career and employment opportunities and 
the cornerstone of economy.
  This year's small business winner is Palmer Place. Creating a 
foundation sounds like a daunting task only achieved by huge 
corporations with lots of money to give away. But Small Business Winner 
Palmer Place Restaurant and its H Foundation is living proof that 
smaller restaurants can achieve big things in community outreach.
  After a close friend and colleague died of cancer, Palmer Place owner 
Steve Palmer wanted to organize a fundraiser to raise money for cancer 
research. Palmer teamed up with local business owners John Rot and 
David Rizner to create the H Foundation where 100 percent of the money 
raised would go toward finding a cure for cancer.
  The H Foundation aims to support innovative, forward-thinking cancer 
research. In 2003, the foundation donated $170,000 to the Lurie center, 
from which researchers generated $1.5 million in grants. Additionally 
part of the $200,000 the H Foundation donated was used to create a 
program called Families After Cancer.
  It is my honor to recognize Steve Palmer of Palmer Place Restaurant 
for his many achievements both within and outside of the business 
community, fostering the growth of a community as well as helping to 
create change and promote progress in cancer research.

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