Business notebook: Burrito-ville dedicates days to local causes

Burrito-ville's sign on Broadway mostly is known for snappy, burrito-themed humor, but the hashtag at the bottom, #GiveBacktoCape, hints at a principle owner Justin Denton said it takes seriously: giving back to the community.

The restaurant has made a habit of scheduling fundraising nights to benefit area organizations, and general manager Paige Garner said one held last week was one of the busiest to date.

It raised about $590 to help Adam Hilse, a paramedic injured in the line of duty in June.

"Close enough to round up to $600," Garner said.

A typical fundraising event, Garner said, usually nets $250 to $350, but Hilse's tip jar alone came out to about $200.

Burrito-Ville held a fundraiser Wednesday for Adam Hilse after he was seriously injured in a crash on Interstate 55 involving his ambulance and two other vehicles.Andrew J. Whitaker

Hilse, who lives in Jackson, was helping transport a patient from Sikeston, Missouri, to St. Louis when the ambulance in which he was riding was involved in a crash with a semi truck in Perry County.

A GoFundMe campaign raised nearly $8,000 in the two weeks since the accident. Hilse was released from the hospital about a week before the fundraiser and was able to attend.

For Denton, the reason for the event was simple: "He's a first responder."

Denton said the restaurant incorporated regular fundraisers into its schedule because it felt like the right thing to do.

"It's just giving back to the people who bring in the money ... and police, fire and paramedics, they support [the community] a lot," he said.

The first one, Denton said, went to help Robert Harris and the community gardens project.

The usual arrangement is to donate 10 percent of an afternoon's sales, but Denton said more often than not, extra money is thrown in for good measure.

Recent fundraisers saw $1,000 donated to Old Town Cape and more to the police department to purchase new canines.

"And we have more coming up," Denton said, describing an upcoming school-supply drive for disadvantaged students.

"We're not really trying to imitate anybody," Denton said. "Just trying to help."

SoutheastHEALTH wins marketing honors

Ten SoutheastHEALTH marketing projects were honored at the Show-Me Excellence Awards.

Of their awards, eight were for first-place honors.

Among the recognized projects were "Don't Be Camera Shy," a television ad encouraging colonoscopy screenings; "Game Changer," a feature about former NFL player Dan Peiffer and his struggle with atrial fibrulation; and "The Year in Review" annual report.

The Show-Me Excellence Awards recognize quality in advertising, marketing and public-relations efforts by Missouri hospitals.

tgraef@semissourian.com

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