The Cornerstone Award is given to the individual or company who best illustrates that the Foodservice Industry stands as the cornerstone of the community and the economy. Their successful businesses support their local communities by creating multiple job opportunities, and by financially supporting non-profit groups, schools, scouts, and youth sports teams. Recipients have also contributed greatly to the State’s healthy economy—creating jobs, purchasing goods, and paying innumerable taxes and license fees.

As a new restaurant in the upper Chesapeake Bay area, the owners of Bill Bateman’s were looking for a way to put down roots in their new community. In May, the restaurant hosted a Cinco de Mayo party to benefit the Upper Chesapeake Health Foundation, raising $1,500 for the local hospital’s new cancer wing. In addition to working with Upper Chesapeake Health Foundation, Bill Bateman’s recently participated in the Celebrity Chef tent at the Maryland Beer and Foodfest, helping raise more than $4,200 for Habitat for Humanity.

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