Fred Soofi is hoping happy bellies at his Coquitlam restaurant this holiday season will help bring some comfort to residents of B.C. communities ravaged by recent floods and mudslides.
He’s donating 10 per cent of the sales of the three most popular dishes at Pasta Polo from Dec. 6 to 26 to the Canadian Red Cross flood relief fund.
Soofi said while his establishment is feeling the impact of a pinched supply chain that is making it difficult to source key ingredients like the semolina flour he uses to make his pasta and boosted the price of other commodities, that’s nothing compared to the challenges faced by residents of Interior communities like Hope, Merritt and Princeton whose homes have been damaged or destroyed by rivers sent raging from consecutive record rainfalls, or farmers in the Fraser Valley whose livelihood is under feet of water.
“It’s such a disaster,” Soofi said, adding the unprecedented storms are a clarion call about a changing climate that should be heeded.
Soofi said his donation will come from sales of his baked lasagna, fettuccine Alfredo and chicken parmesan, as well as gift certificates.
“I wish I could do more.”
Soofi has a long history of helping out in his community and beyond, including helping to feed the homeless at shelters, advocating for human rights in his native Iran, and restoring heritage homes.
In 2012, his efforts were recognized with a Queen’s Golden Jubilee medal.
