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Azul Latin Kitchen raises $25k for Boys and Girls Club

Azul Latin Kitchen recently donated $25,000 to the Boys and Girls Club of Lake Tahoe. Pictured (from left) are Kathy Jensen, BGCLT board president, Elena Kangas and Daniel Scott of Azul,Jude Wood, BGCLT executive director and Annika Orr.
donation

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — Azul Latin Kitchen, located in the Heavenly Village, recently awarded a check for $25,000 to the Boys and Girls Club of Lake Tahoe. 

The donation was the result of fundraising efforts throughout 2021 and the first half of 2022.  Typically, Azul hosts a fall fundraising party at the restaurant in December. However, due to COVID-19 this annual event was moved to the spring of 2022. 

The money came largely in part from a $1 donation by Azul for every Queso Fundido appetizer sold, and the end of the year fundraiser held in mid-May. In addition, Azul received COVID relief funds from the city of South Lake Tahoe that were forgiven. These forgiven funds were also donated on behalf of Azul.  



“Azul Latin Kitchen is proud to support our community through frequent fundraising events,” said Ray Villaman, owner and CEO of Azul and Base Camp Pizza Co. “This year was especially meaningful for us to make a contribution to a local nonprofit. Our community has endured so much in the last few years. We couldn’t be happier to have had the success we did, considering all the challenges presented to us. It is because of Azul’s management, employees, Boys and Girls Club volunteers, our partner companies, and many individuals who supported that we were able to make the contribution. I am particularly proud of our GM Elena Kangas for orchestrating this year’s fundraising efforts.”

“Every year we look to identify local nonprofits that support kids and families in our community,” said Danny Scott, director of operations with Tahoe Restaurant Group. “Our staff votes at our annual meeting for the organization that they want to support. We find that our staff then has more interest in volunteering for and supporting that organization. It truly is amazing how our entire staff donated their time for the end of the year fundraiser. Knowing that all the hard work from our team is going right back to the community makes this event more meaningful.”  



Local nonprofits interested in being chosen for the annual partnership can email the restaurant directly at azultahoe@gmail.com

Villaman said the $25,000 sum is the most successful fundraising effort for Azul since it was established in 2014. 

“We are so grateful to Azul Latin Kitchen for their incredible support of the club over the past two years,” said Jude Wood, Boys and Girls Club executive director. “It is amazing to think that at a time when our local restaurants have been battling covid, wildfires, and changing markets that they still stayed true to their mission to support and engage with local nonprofits. The Club is overwhelmed by the kindness and generosity that we have received from the Azul staff and will put the money to great use in supporting our local children and families. We just reduced our membership fees for low and moderate income families, and the funding from Azul will go a long way to helping us continue to meet our expenses and support our community.”

For more information or to make a donation to help The Boys and Girls Club of Lake Tahoe realize its goals, go to https://bgclt.org/.  

Tahoe Restaurant Group includes four restaurants located on both the north and south shores of Lake Tahoe including Azul Latin Kitchen and Base Camp Pizza which are located in the Heavenly Village in South Lake Tahoe, Rubicon Pizza is in the Village at Northstar, and Fireside Pizza is in the Village at Palisades Tahoe, Olympic Valley. 

For more information on Tahoe Restaurant Group’s establishments: 

Azul Latin Kitchen: https://azullatinkitchen.com/

Basecamp Pizza Co: https://basecamppizzaco.com/

Fireside Pizza Co: https://firesidepizza.com/

Rubicon Pizza Co: https://www.rubiconpizzaco.com/


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