Throughout the year, the employees of the West Sound Café have been putting the small loose change from their tips into a piggy bank dedicated to Orcas Island Food Bank.

After tallying it all up, the piggy bank yielded $326.33. With matching funds from restaurant owners Richard and Nanae Fralick, café employees will be gifting a total of $652.66 to the Orcas Island Food Bank.

Participating in the gift are Eros Belliveau, Roze Bortoletto, Genevieve Brooks, Serena Burman, Joe Cain, Anthony Eckerson, Pamela Evans, Kevin and Sujinda Gregus, Edith Leonard, Chanda McKeaver, Sommer McKenzie, Sami Messinger, Miri Plowman, Justine Pope, James Reid, Margaret May Schaller and David Wiltfong.

In a separate “Give Back to the Community” program instituted at the restaurant from Nov. 25 through Dec. 18, West Sound Café committed to giving 10 to 15 percent of endorsed restaurant sales receipts to Orcas Island nonprofits.

A total of $213.84 will be distributed to the following as a result of the program: Deer Harbor Community Club, Montessori School, DVSAS, the Funhouse, OICF, Indralaya, APS, Orcas Open Arts, IOSA and Orcas Food Bank.

The West Sound Café hopes to expand its “Dine and Give” program and develop it into an Orcas Island year-end tradition that  more community non-profits will take advantage of in the years to come.

For more information, call Nanae Fralick at 376-2500.