Flores Concepts on Tuesday launched its latest community outreach effort to help Tucson hospital workers get through the strain of working the front lines of the deadly coronavirus pandemic.
Tamales For Heroes (tamalesforheroes.com), the unofficial launch of the Flores family’s latest business venture Tamaleofthemonth.com, is asking people to “sponsor” tamales at $4 apiece. The tamales will be distributed in bunches of 25 to hospitals including Banner University Medical Center, Banner Kino, St. Josephs, St. Mary’s, Tucson Medical Center, El Rio Congress, Northwest Medical Center, Northwest Oro Valley Hospital and Green Valley Hospital.
“We had started working on Tamaleofthemonth.com way back, but like everything that wasn’t part of our traditional business, we put it on the back burner,” said Flores Concepts President Ray Flores.
When the coronavirus pandemic forced the family to close the dining rooms of their El Charro Café, Charro Steak and Charro Vida restaurants, Flores refocused on the venture and created tamalesforheroes.com as a portal for people to contribute to the campaign. Flores said the effort was launched with a $10,000 donation from DMB Foundation.
Flores said the tamales will be made in the company’s USDA licensed commercial kitchen downtown, where Flores Concepts produces many of the products for its restaurants.
Meanwhile, Tucson independent radio station KDRI The Drive has spent more than $8,000 at nine Tucson restaurants to feed more than 800 front-line workers at five hospitals and 22 fire stations as part of its 3-week-old “Drive Thru for Tucson’s Frontline” GoFundMe campaign.
In all, the fund has collected just over $31,000 toward its $45,000 goal.
The campaign purchases meals in blocks of 100 from local restaurants and delivers them to area hospitals. To donate, go to tinyurl.com/s8jkrk4
