Ron of Japan Steakhouse dining guests of all ages have sought good luck or gambatte kudasai (a.k.a. “Do your best”), by tossing a coin into the ornate Ron of Japan fountain.
Now the restaurant’s Northbrook location is sharing the wealth as part of an upcoming remodeling.
Scheduled to begin in mid-September, the project will be preceded by a 30-day promotion during which dining guests will be invited to submit a guess as to how much money has accumulated in the fountain over the past several years. At the end of the guessing contest period (August 1 – September 3) the fountain will be drained and all the coins will be collected and tallied.
The two guests with the closest guess will each win a $100 dining certificate to Ron of Japan (courtesy of the restaurant owners, not the fountain fund).
All of the money in the fountain will then be donated to The Cove School in Northbrook, which provides highly individualized education and life strategies for children with learning disabilities helping to facilitate the development of their social, emotional and self-advocacy skills and giving them the self-confidence to make a successful transition to community schools or other post-secondary options.
“Everyone always asks how much all the coins in our fountain are worth, and I’ve always wondered myself,” proclaimed Ron of Japan’s Treasurer Doug Hirsh. “So, when we decided to refurbish our beautiful fountain area, we thought it would be fun for the community to get involved and ultimately benefit from the thousands of wishes made.”
The original intent of the fountain was always to be a wishing well that served as a collection for charity. “It was only fitting that we chose The Cove School in Northbrook as the recipient of the total of all coins contained in the fountain, since so many children, and their families, have enjoyed the tradition of tossing a coin into the fountain and making a wish for themselves, a friend or loved one,” observed Hirsh.
