Chinatown in Washington D.C. was experiencing a major revitalization in 2003. Brothers Ty and Mark Neal and their friend, Drew Kim, saw this as the perfect time and place to open their first Matchbox Restaurant. Since 2003, the company has opened 12 restaurants, all company owned in Maryland, DC and Virginia. Six more are in various stages of development in three different states. Next week, the first ever standalone store with a brand new design will be opening in Ashburn, Virginia, followed by a Matchbox in Dallas in March 2015, and two in South Florida. Matchbox Food Group is growing every day, and Our Military Kids is growing right along with them. In 2013, Our Military Kids teamed with Matchbox Food Group to be the beneficiary of their stores’ soft openings. Matchbox Food Group has donated nearly $20,000 to Our Military Kids by giving all proceeds from food purchased during the soft openings of their restaurants. When asked about the response Ty receives when customers learn of our partnership, he responded, “It is easy to be passionate about the military piece. We have a little patriotic streak running through our theme.” Ty is no stranger to the importance of extracurricular activities in a child’s life. He has three children between the ages of 5 and 10 years old, and he says they are involved in every sport imaginable. The reason Ty and Matchbox stay connected with Our Military Kids is the obvious impact of the program. Ty stated that he “loves hearing about what the military kids get involved in and enjoys receiving the handwritten cards and pictures.” Our Military Kids believes it is important to make a connection between our supporters and grant recipients, so the donor sees the difference and impact of their contribution. Thank you, Matchbox Food Group for making a difference!