March 04, 2004

By: James Sparks
Website: http://www.1st-in-steaks.com

Red Lobster features hero crewmembers in new Lobsterfest Ad

To honor two employees who saved children being abducted by a suspected murderer, Red Lobster will give two “hero” crewmembers roles in the company’s upcoming Lobsterfest advertising campaign.

Al Joy and Jason Roden, servers at a Red Lobster restaurant in Chattanooga, were returning from a trip to Florida on January 8 when they saw “AMBER ALERT” signs in Georgia about a vehicle containing three children who had been abducted earlier that day. The abductor was a suspect in the murder of the children’s grandparents, another of his children and a fourth family member.

About 15 miles outside of Chattanooga, the two Red Lobster crewmembers, along with Joy’s wife and Roden’s girlfriend, noticed a car they were passing fit the AMBER ALERT description. They called 911 on a cell phone and discovered it was the car for which police were searching. Joy and Roden were instructed to follow the vehicle at a safe distance and to stay on the line until they could direct officers to the scene. State troopers made the arrest and freed the children.

“We’re very proud of the role that Al and Jason played in helping the authorities find the suspect and reunite the children with their family,” said Red Lobster’s Executive Vice President of Marketing, Kim Lopdrup. “Giving them roles in our upcoming national campaign gives us an opportunity to hold them up as positive role models for the rest of us and to reinforce Red Lobster’s culture of being of service.”

The Lobsterfest ads begin February 9 on network and cable television and show Joy and Roden preparing food for guests in the restaurant kitchen. Joy, 21, is a resident of Chattanooga and has been with Red Lobster for almost two years. Roden, 23, a resident of Rising Fawn, Ga., has worked for the company for more than one year. Both are employed at the Chattanooga restaurant located on 2200 Bams Drive.

This isn’t the first time Roden has played the role of hero. A few months ago, while working in the restaurant, he saved the life of a choking customer by performing the Heimlich maneuver.

“When I heard they helped save the children, I was delighted but not really surprised,” said the servers’ general manager, Betsey Runyan. “That’s the kind of people Al and Jason are. They treat every Red Lobster guest as a treasured friend. They’ve never met a stranger.”

Also see: Lobster Tails

Author Notes:

James Sparks contributes and publishes news editorial to http://www.1st-in-steaks.com.  Great tips on buying top quality meats, steaks and seafood from the finest ranchers and butchers.