What started out years ago as a simple conversation between a teacher and a volunteer has led to twenty years of amazing generosity to help young children learn.
In 1998, Nancy Racine was volunteering with the preschoolers at the Readiness Center, a preschool/parent program in Benton Harbor. Sister Paulita Walters, the founder, director, and teacher of the Readiness Center, was praising her staff and discussing the importance of keeping high quality preschool aides. Nancy, co-owner with her husband Pete of the Grande Mere Inn restaurant in Stevensville agreed wholeheartedly that staff retention is key to success.
Their conversation struck a chord with Nancy and soon an idea was born. Pete and Nancy, who opened Grande Mere Inn the same year the Readiness Center was founded, wanted to do something special to honor that connection and to help Sister Paulita’s program. The idea: to host a “Sunday Supper” for the Readiness Center, invite the community and donate 100-percent of the ticket price to the Readiness Center. Pete and Nancy would provide the food and drink, and the staff would all volunteer their time so there was no cost to the Readiness Center.
The guests at the first “Sunday Supper” were treated to a typical Grande Mere five-star experience. They made their own dinner reservations, ordered from a shortened menu of Grande Mere specialties, and enjoyed the high quality food and service of a favorite Southwest Michigan restaurant. The generosity of the Racines, their staff, and the community has never stopped ever since.
In recent years, the second generation of the Racine family has taken up the mantle. Pete and Nancy’s son Charley, who was in college when the first Sunday Supper took place, took over the family business with his wife Tricia three years ago and together they have continued the tradition.
Two weeks ago on Sunday, November 5th, the 20th annual dinner for the Readiness Center was hosted by Grand Mere. Over the years, the amazing staff at Grande Mere Inn have served over 5,000 meals and raised more than $700,000 for the Readiness Center. The Readiness Center has expressed deep gratitude for the overwhelming generosity of the Grande Mere Inn staff and the community’s support of this event for the past twenty years.
The Grande Mere Inn is a family owned and operated restaurant started in 1980 by Pete and Nancy Racine. The tradition of fine quality continues with their son Charley and his wife Tricia. The goal of the Racines has always been to provide a pleasurable dining experience; providing high quality food, friendly service, and a stunning view of Lake Michigan. In 2015, Pete and Nancy Racine and their staff were awarded Michigan’s Governor’s Service Award for outstanding service to their community through their many acts of charity, making the first time it was ever awarded to a small business. You can learn more online at www.grandemereinn.com
The Readiness Center was founded in 1980 by Paulita Walters, RSM. The program is tuition-free but parent participation is required. Structured parent/child time leads to the parent taking an active role in their child’s learning as a preschooler and then through their school years. For thirty-seven years, the Readiness Center has served the Benton Harbor community. At the request of parents and children, the Readiness Center has grown to include an after-school component for kindergarten through fifth graders called City Kids and the 50/50 Teen work/mentor program. You can learn more online at www.readinesscenterinc.org
The photo accompanying this story on Moody on the Market is shared by Grand Mere Inn showing their iconic checkered table setting complete with checkered table cloth as captured at this year’s Sunday Supper.
