Don Murphy
By .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) | Share
Del.icio.us
For those looking to party like the Irish on St. Patrick’s Day, Murphy’s Bar and Grill is the place to be.
It’s become tradition for revelers to gather at the brick-and-mortar Merchant Street pub for a day full of good food, drink and music, and owner Don Murphy is sharing a bit of his Irish luck by donating $2 of every pound of corned beef sold throughout the entire month of March to Hawaii Children’s Cancer Foundation, a local nonprofit dedicated exclusively to providing services to children with cancer and their families.
“I just really believe in what they do,” says Murphy, who has been on the HCCF board for the past 10 years. “They’re a passionate, dedicated group, and I really enjoy working with them.”
Murphy and wife Marion instituted the St. Paddy’s fundraiser five years ago and last year were able to raise $5,000 for the organization.
“St. Patrick’s Day’s a great day for us, and we do very well, so we just thought we’d throw a little bit of it their way,” Murphy says. “We’ll probably go through close to 3,000 pounds of corned beef this month, so we’re hoping to give them $6,000 to $7,000.”
This isn’t the only time of year the downtown establishment opens its pockets to Hawaii’s charities. Since it opened in 1987, Murphy’s has hosted numerous fundraisers for Hawaii Literacy, American Cancer Society, Big Brothers Big Sisters, UH Cancer Research Center and Save Our Schools for high school athletics, among others. The restaurant also plays host to the annual Pigskin Pigout for UH football, raising more than $1.5 million over the past 15 years.
“We’re fortunate that we have a venue that we can do that, where we can close the street out here and have a fundraiser and raise some money for a deserving group,” states Murphy, who has received a multitude of awards for his service, including the Spirit of Aloha Award, Distinguished American Award and Charles Ushijima Rainbow Service Award. In addition, last year Murphy’s was inducted into the Hawaii Restaurant Association “Hall of Fame” and was honored by the Ronald McDonald Charities for 24 years of continued community service.
“We’re here and we’re not leaving,” Murphy says, “so it’s just a good way for us to give back and enjoy ourselves. I don’t know what else to tell you but come down to the party!” Visit murphyshawaii.com for more information.
E-mail this story | Print this page | Comments (0) | Archive | RSS Comments (0) |
Most Recent Comment(s):
