A Chili’s restaurant in California is getting applause from local pro-life advocates for canceling a fundraiser it has scheduled to host for the Planned Parenthood abortion business.
Chili’s Grill & Bar, which has more than 1,500 restaurants in 31 countries and two U.S. territories, cancelled their recent fundraiser for Planned Parenthood, due to a tidal-wave of customer opposition to funding the abortion giant.
According to a spokesperson for Chili’s parent company, Brinker International, Inc., “The event was canceled after hearing growing concerns from our guests.” Management of the Natomas Chili’s received numerous calls, as the Sacramento community expressed concerns about Chili’s restaurant donating money to Planned Parenthood, which performs over 330,000 abortions every year.
Wynette Sills, a local pro-life advocate who had been monitoring the situation, told LifeNews today, “The Chili’s fundraiser for Planned Parenthood was brought to my attention on Wednesday, July 27, the night before the event. By the next morning, Chili’s decided to cancel the Planned Parenthood fundraiser due to guest complaints.”
Sills says the cancellation “is a significant and abrupt change of opinion for the restaurant chain” as a flier announcing the fundraiser originally proclaimed “Chili’s proudly supports Planned Parenthood” and invited customers to bring in the promotional flyer so Chili’s could donate 15 percent of the customer’s bill to the Planned Parenthood Mar Monte’s Sacramento affiliate.
Although Chili’s Bar & Grill officially cancelled the Planned Parenthood fundraiser at their Truxel Road location, the restaurant did make a $200 donation to Planned Parenthood Mar Monte’s Sacramento chapter, as compensation for the last minute cancellation, Sills informed LifeNews.
Sills responded, “It is very disappointing that any amount of money went to support the abortion industry, but I imagine the $200 compensation was necessary to avoid litigation. Planned Parenthood is not accustomed to losing.”
According to a corporate statement from Chili’s, “The manager at this location had the best of intentions when organizing this event, and deeply regrets upsetting our valued guests.”
Sills says Planned Parenthood is hardly in need of a fundraiser given the money it makes from doing abortions and government grants.
“Although always eager to raise additional funds, Planned Parenthood Mar Monte declared Total Revenues of over $84 million dollars in 2008, most of which was derived from government tax dollars,” the California pro-life advocate said. “Planned Parenthood performs abortions on 97% of the pregnant women who come into their business.”
“Recently here in Sacramento, Planned Parenthood Mar Monte’s highest paid and most senior abortionist, Jesse James Joplin III, who receives $235,000 per year, was found guilty of drunken driving and drug abuse, so severe that his medical license was suspended,” Sills noted. “Planned Parenthood has a long history of racism[9] and has invested millions of dollars to oppose Parental Notification efforts in California, allowing teenage girls to undergo the life-ending and life-changing abortion surgery without even notifying parents. While Planned Parenthood Mar Monte had annual revenue in excess of $84 million dollars , Planned Parenthood affiliates are currently under investigation for massive fraud, allegedly over-charging the taxpayers of California by at least $180 million.”
Chili’s is not the only Sacramento area restaurant to hold recent fundraisers for Planned Parenthood. Applebee’s held a fundraiser for the local Planned Parenthood, and Beverly Lynn, Manager of the Applebee’s Sacramento Arden Way restaurant, confirmed that the restaurant did promote a fundraiser for Planned Parenthood using a flier.
However, Lynn also stated “Not a single person came in to redeem their fundraising promotion for Planned Parenthood. I was a little surprised and wondered if there had been a scheduling oversight or something.”
A Marketing Specialist for Apple American (an Applebee franchisee group which includes the Sacramento Arden Way restaurant) confirmed that “although the fundraiser for Planned Parenthood had been promoted, no funds were actually raised at Applebee’s on Arden Way that evening due to lack of customer participation. Apple American will be re-evaluating their fundraising selection process in the future.”
Sills said, “The company spokesperson also confirmed that Apple American has requested Planned Parenthood remove all references to their restaurant from the Planned Parenthood website.”
Meanwhile, Big Spoon Yogurt, a northern California regional corporation with 12 restaurants, offered a 30% fundraising opportunity for Planned Parenthood at their J Street location in Sacramento. But that fundraiser raised little or not money as well.
Store manager, Armen Vahanian, stated “I don’t know exactly how much money was raised for Planned Parenthood that evening, but it was likely very minimal. We offer fundraising opportunities to all non-profits and have never had a problem. Yet, this is a real concern and it will not happen again.”
