Wheaton restaurant's sales to aid veterans' shelter

For a fifth year, Ivy Restaurant in downtown Wheaton is donating 10 percent of sales to the Midwest Shelter for Homeless Veterans in celebration of Veterans Day.

Diners will be surrounded by wartime posters, uniforms, flight jackets, souvenirs and other war items from Dixie Devil Diver, a military memorabilia business, if they stop in at the restaurant, 120 Hale St., between Wednesday and Saturday, Nov. 11-14.

A special menu will feature items with names like "SOS" and "MRE," in a nod to war lingo. Drinks and desserts will be red, white and blue.

"We just make it fun," owner Dick O'Gorman said. "The place is amazing when it's all done up. (Dixie Devil Diver) has got the greatest stuff you'd ever see."

O'Gorman said he was about to head to war in Vietnam when the draft was abolished.

"I got very, very lucky," he said. "Since I got so lucky, I feel like I owe the veterans."

Every year, the restaurant has donated 10 percent of food sales accumulated over four days. O'Gorman said he believes this will be the "biggest" and "best" year, since Veterans Day falls on a Wednesday and the event will capture sales from weekend diners.

There will also be raffles for gift certificates, wine baskets and more, all in an effort to raise more money for the shelter.

Ivy is one of several financial sponsors for Reflections Framed. O'Gorman said veterans and families attending the ceremony Wednesday are welcome to stop by Ivy to take a look at the memorabilia, especially because he has found in the past that it often brings back fond memories for veterans and gets them to open up and share more of their stories.