Charlie Hong Kong will donate 10% of sales on June 30 to Amigo Bob CantisanobSan
On Thursday, June 30, during the entire time it’s open (11 a.m. to 11 p.m.), Santa Cruz restaurant Charlie Hong Kong is donating 10% of sales to organic pioneer Amigo Bob Cantisano. The man who many call “Amigo” has been fighting stage four cancer for the last two-and-a-half years.
Charlie Hong Kong co-owner Carolyn Rudolph shares that Amigo “devoted more than 45 years to growing the Organic Movement…he started one of the first organic farm supply companies, founded an organic food co-op, helped establish CCOF (California Certified Organic Farmers) and created the renowned annual Ecological Farming Conference at Asilomar.” That latter event, known as EcoFarm, is the largest sustainable-agriculture gathering in the Western US and had its 36th incarnation earlier this year.
An activist, teacher and leader, Amigo has advised organic farmers all over the world. For years, he has focused his life on building organic agriculture.
“He has probably prevented thousands of cancers through his work,” Rudolph says. “Now he needs our support. Charlie Hong Kong, with the support of CCOF, wants to express our gratitude and support to the ‘grandfather’ of the Organic Movement.” Any questions, call her at 831-818-1814.
For anyone unfamiliar with Charlie Hong Kong, the restaurant sells very delicious, affordable food featuring locally grown produce. They describe their cuisine as “organic Asian street food” and they have selections to satisfy vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free customers – as well as folks like me who love meat and seafood (although I probably order CHK’s sweet garlic tofu about every other time I’m there; it’s fantastic!).
If you want to learn more about Amigo, I noticed that an oral history about him is part of the “Cultivating a Movement” series that was completed in 2010. “Cultivating a Movement: An Oral History Series on Sustainable Agriculture and Organic Farming on California’s Central Coast” includes 58 (!) interviews with farmers, activists, researchers, and educators. UC Santa Cruz’s Regional Oral History Project conducted this documentary oral history project.
Location: Charlie Hong Kong, 1141 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz, 831-426-5664
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