Seven restaurants have teamed up with the South Whidbey Schools Foundation to raise funds for classroom grants by encouraging residents to “Dine Out Wednesdays for SW Schools” during February and March.

“The program encourages people to support South Whidbey Schools by eating at specific participating restaurants on Wednesdays – a traditionally slow day during the slow winter months of February and March,” said South Whidbey Foundation President Chris Gibson. “We see it as a win-win effort for students and local businesses.”

A portion of each restaurant’s net profit from that day will be donated to the Foundation to fund innovative, teacher and staff-requested classroom projects. The Foundation has given out more than $150,000 in classroom grants since it began in 1994.

“We have a good cross section of restaurants that have agreed to participate in the program, so there are lots of choices for diners. People can dine in or order take-out food during each restaurant’s hours of operation,” said Susie Richards, co-chairwoman of the Dine Out Program.

Retired educator Jean Shaw is also a co-chairwoman and will appear in a short online video to promote the program.

Participating restaurants include: Gordon’s On Blueberry Hill, Cafe Langley, Mukilteo Coffee Roasters Café in the Woods, Freeland Café, Mo’s Pub and Eatery, Hong Kong Gardens, and Patron Mexican Restaurant.

“Our hope is that South Whidbey residents will visit a different participating restaurant each Wednesday during the months of February and March,” said Richards. “We encourage participants to be sure to mention to their servers that they came to support the Dine Out Wednesdays for Schools program, as it will help both the restaurants and Foundation gauge the effectiveness of the program.

The South Whidbey Schools Foundation is a 501c-3 non-profit organization dedicated to supporting innovation and excellence in the South Whidbey School District. More information about the foundation, including a full list of the projects funded over the past several years, can be found at www.SWSFoundation.org