BATON ROUGE - Mayor Sharon Weston Broome announced Friday the city's corporate partners are donating tens of thousands of dollars to 19 local, minority-owned restaurants.

The mayor's office says ExxonMobil has committed to purchasing $15,000 worth of gift cards from restaurants in the North Baton Rouge and Baker areas through the Keep BR Serving campaign. Republic Services also committed to purchasing $30,000 in catering services and $5,000 in gift cards over the next six weeks.

“The coronavirus pandemic has affected every sector of our business community. That’s why I led the Keep BR Serving campaign,” Mayor Broome said. “I’m concerned about protecting everyone in our community, particularly those doing business in our disinvested communities. These businesses play a critical role in the long term success of those neighborhoods.”

According to the mayor's office, more than $100,000 has been contributed to East Baton Rouge Parish restaurants, mostly by corporate partners, since the launch of keepBRserving.com. More than 50 restaurants throughout the community have benefited from the program.