SARASOTA – The popular brunch spot, First Watch, is partnering with the V Foundation for Cancer research to find a cure.
“I think it became a natural opportunity for a place like first watch to make a real difference and significant impact both for a community they serve but also for the communities in which they serve,” said CEO of The V Foundation, Shane Jacobson.
First Watch will donate 25 cents from the sale of every kid’s meal at its more than 440 locations nationwide to the V Foundation’s Dick Vitale Fund for Pediatric Cancer. All of this money will go straight to scientific cancer research.
“We’re finding the best of the best research projects that have the chance to most quickly move the needle to new knowledge, new discovery, new diagnostics, new therapy, ultimately pointing at trying to save lives,” said Jacobson.
Both First Watch and The V Foundation credit one man for the partnership
“Dick Vitale has been a long friend of the brand, he eats at out at our Lakewood Ranch restaurant and just from our relationship with him, we’ve always been impressed with everything he does with relentless passion and energy and him doing that to benefit pediatric cancer was a no-brainer,” said Senior VP Brand Strategy of Innovation of First Watch, Matt Eisenacher.
Even through battling cancer himself.
“He never stopped brining awareness to the need for pediatric cancer research and he never stopped raising money for the kids,” said Jacobson.
Jacobson says the partnership is helping set the stage and providing an example on how businesses can work together
“We will not stop in our vision to achieve victory over cancer in our fight to save as many lives as we can until the survival rate is 100 percent,” said Jacobson.
To date, the partnership has raised more a 150,000 dollars, and the foundation anticipates to raise close to $500,000 in the first year.