ST. GEORGE — The Stage Coach Grille in LaVerkin is awarding one free meal a week to a first responder or person working through the COVID-19 pandemic. The nominations for the giveaway are taking place on Facebook and the winners are selected every Tuesday. So far, three people have been awarded a free dinner courtesy of the Stage Coach Grille.
“We’re asking people on Facebook to nominate someone they know that is either a first responder or is working through the COVID situation,” Stage Coach Grille owner Rich Tabish said. “We’ve done everything from first responders to the lady that sanitizes carts at Walmart.”
The biggest draw to doing this giveaway for Tabish was the ability to stay in touch with the community and not lose touch with their customers. They decided to do it as a way of giving back to those who continue to work despite the pandemic going on currently.
“We’re getting multiple nominations a week that we get to read through and frankly sometimes it’s hard to chose who’s going to win but the community has been active in supporting it,” Tabish said.
Tabish mentioned that there are no rules or parameters for the contest and people can be nominated more then once. They are just looking to recognize those impacted by the pandemic and those aiding those effectedm.
The first winner of the free meal, or the #coronahero as the restaurant calls it, was Talisha Hern. Hern is a cardiovascular nurse at Dixie Regional Medical Center and she mostly takes care of patients who have just had heart surgeries. Hern was nominated by a friend and selected as the first winner.
“It’s kind of weird being nominated for something that I do everyday without wanting to take credit,” Hern said.
Hern used the free meal as a learning experience for her daughter. She said that it showed her daughter how doing good things can help others and that you should do things without expecting anything in return.
“They call us heroes but we’re just nurses,” Hern said. “I think more or less it showed my daughter something. I’m thankful for them for showing my kids what hard work does.”
The staff at the Stage Coach Grille greeted her and Tabish was there as well. Tabish had previously had open heart surgery and Hern’s situation hit close to home for him. They also gifted Hern and her family a Walmart gift card as a token of appreciation with their meal.
“I can’t tell you how fulfilling it is,” Tabish said. “The time the first winner (Hern) came in who was a nurse from the hospital, single mom, raising two kids and it almost brought a tear to my eye. It was very touching, very fulfilling and it’s amazing.”
Hern also said that the food was delicious. Her children are normally picky eaters but they went through second servings of the linguini alfredo.
The Stage Coach Grille opened their restaurant to dine in customers Friday on a limited basis. They will be open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. everyday while they will also be opening back up for breakfast soon.
To nominate a #coronahero, go to the Stage Coach Grille Facebook page.
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