Bartolotta's bracelets benefit Haitian children

A local restaurant group will sell bracelets and donate all proceeds to help children affected by the earthquake in Haiti.

Wauwatosa-based Bartolotta Restaurants' will sell bracelets at each of its five restaurants: Ristorante Bartolotta in the Village of Wauwatosa, Mr. B's steakhouse in Brookfield, Bacchus and Lake Park Bistro in Milwaukee and the Bartolotta-catered brunches at Boerner Botanical Gardens in Hales Corners. Each location will feature a different bracelet.

The Hearts for Haiti campaign is being organized by the restaurant group's charitable fund, Care-a-Lotta, at the suggestion of employee Natalie Czarkowski.

She recently returned from volunteering in Haiti, and the schools and orphanages where she built handicapped-accessible structures and fed sick children were severely damaged. Her work was done through the organization Fondation Pour les Enfants de Haiti, and the money Bartolotta raises will be donated to that group.

Volunteers are assembling the bracelets, which will be made of supplies donated from Eclectica in Brookfield. They will be on sale at the restaurants for $5 apiece Monday.

In addition, the five eateries will offer Pen Patat, a Haitian sweet potato pudding with caramel rum sauce for $6 and the St. Dominique rum drink for $8. All those dollars also will go to Haitian relief efforts.