This month, RA Sushi chefs will roll out a special new menu featuring more than a dozen sushi and Asian fusion dishes and drinks for its annual Nicky’s Week celebration, May 22-28. The restaurant known for its creative sushi and inventive cocktails is teaming up with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital to donate 100 percent of sales from the special menu to help find cures for childhood cancers and other life-threatening diseases.
This year’s Nicky’s Week will take place at the Pointe Orlando location (9101 International Drive). Representatives are hoping this year’s results in Orlando will be the “biggest yet” locally. From May 22nd through May 28th, 100% of sales at this Orlando location will be donated.
The 13th annual Nicky’s Week honors the life of Nicholas Mailliard, who lost his battle with pediatric cancer in 2005 at the age of 13. Nicky was the nephew of Rich Howland, one of RA Sushi’s founders. His battle with cancer deeply impacted the RA Sushi family and inspired the annual event benefiting St. Jude.
RA Sushi aims to raise more than $200,000 this year, bringing the total contributions to over $2 million since Nicky’s Week’s inception in 2005. Because St. Jude freely shares the breakthroughs it makes, every child saved at St. Jude means doctors and scientists worldwide can use that knowledge to save thousands more children.
“Great food and drink always bring friends together at RA Sushi, but we especially enjoy seeing guests gather around our tables to help fund St. Jude‘s research, which offers hope to so many families,” said Mike Johnson, Vice President of Operations at RA Sushi. “During Nicky’s Week, we roll the sushi and our guests make the difference.”
Thanks to partnerships like this one, treatments invented at St. Jude have helped push the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20 percent to more than 80 percent since it opened more than 50 years ago. Funds raised through events like Nicky’s Week help ensure families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food – because St. Jude believes all a family should worry about is helping their child live.
Supporters can help the cause by visiting RA Sushi May 22-28 and ordering from the Nicky’s Week menu, including the Tootsy Maki Roll, Garlic Ponzu Yellowtail, ”RA”ckin Shrimp Tacos and Poke Tacos – ten plates in all – along along with nearly a dozen specialty cocktails, wines, beers and non-alcoholic drinks. Select locations will host additional fundraising events or silent auctions, and all locations will accept cash donations, on behalf of the hospital.
