LongHorn Steakhouse Invites Families to Give a Book, Get a Free Kid's Meal in Celebration of International Children's Book Day

ORLANDO, Fla., March 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- LongHorn Steakhouse is inviting families to participate in the restaurant's Give a Book, Get a Free Steakhouse Kid's Meal offer to celebrate International Children's Book Day on Tuesday, April 2, 2013.  To participate, all families have to do is donate a children's book, suitable for ages 5-12, on April 2 at any local LongHorn.  In return, participating guests will receive one free kid's meal from LongHorn's kid's menu with the purchase of one adult entree.

Books collected will be donated to local Boys & Girls Clubs across the country to add to their libraries for the kids they serve.  The program is part of LongHorn's ongoing efforts to give back to the communities they serve.

"LongHorn Steakhouse has a proud history of being a good neighbor," said Todd Burrowes, EVP of Operations.  "We created this special kid's meal offer as a way to encourage families to spend time together, give children an opportunity to help other children in their local community and to continue our long-term, ongoing support of Boys & Girls Clubs of America."

LongHorn supports Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) throughout the year through local grants, school supply drives, holiday dinners and other fundraising events to support programs that encourage young people to achieve their academic goals and dreams.

"LongHorn's celebration of International Children's Book Day is a great example of our partners' dedication to ensuring our young people achieve academic success," said Kimberly Boyd, vice president of education for BGCA. "The donation of books will help provide additional resources for our Boys & Girls Clubs to develop fun, educational programs to encourage youth. Socially conscious programs, such as this, foster greater community engagement, while helping develop great futures for more of America's youth."

To learn more about LongHorn's Give a Book, Get a Free Steakhouse Kid's Meal offer, visit facebook.com/longhornsteakhouse.   Families may also go to LongHorn's website at www.longhornsteakhouse.com to find a restaurant location.

ABOUT LONGHORN STEAKHOUSE
Known for a passion for grilling fresh, tender, juicy steaks, LongHorn Steakhouse provides guests with a cut above steakhouse dining experience. Unlike other steakhouses, LongHorn offers the widest variety of cuts and numerous preparations, including its signature bone-in Outlaw Ribeye – all served in a relaxed, warm atmosphere inspired by a rancher's home. A growing brand, LongHorn plans to open more than 45 new locations over the next year, bringing our total to well over 400 restaurants across 36 states. LongHorn is a division of Darden Restaurants, Inc. (NYSE: DRI), the world's largest full-service restaurant operating company. In 2013, Darden was named to the FORTUNE "100 Best Companies to Work For" list for the third year in a row and is the only full-service restaurant company to ever appear on the list. LongHorn is committed to making a difference in the lives of others in the local community. As part of this commitment, all LongHorn restaurants participate in the Darden Harvest program, which has donated more than 60 million pounds of food to local community food banks across the country. For more information, please visit www.longhornsteakhouse.com.

ABOUT BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF AMERICA
For more than 100 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (GreatFutures.org) has enabled young people most in need to achieve great futures as productive, caring, responsible citizens. Today, more than 4,000 Clubs serve some 4 million young people annually through Club membership and community outreach. Clubs are located in cities, towns, public housing and on Native American lands throughout the country, and serve military families in BGCA-affiliated Youth Centers on U.S. military installations worldwide. They provide a safe place, caring adult mentors, fun, friendship, and high-impact youth development programs on a daily basis during critical non-school hours. Priority programs emphasize academic success, good character and citizenship, and healthy lifestyles. In a Harris Survey of alumni, 57 percent said the Club saved their lives. National headquarters are located in Atlanta. Learn more at http://www.bgca.org/facebook and http://bgca.org/twitter.

SOURCE LongHorn Steakhouse