A local restaurant owner has created its own holiday — Wichita Hummus Day — with charity in mind.
A local restaurant owner has created its own holiday — Wichita Hummus Day — with charity in mind.
Meddys restaurants in Wichita are giving away free hummus on Saturday, September 23, in hopes that customers will donate to help a young girl who has leukemia and others like her.
Hannah Soderstrom is a Meddys regular. She can tell you all about the yummy things to order, but it’s the hummus she raves about.
“I just loved all of it,” Hannah said. “I was like, ‘Dad you need to bring me every day.’”
Hannah is a freshman at Maize High School. Behind her infectious smile, she’s battling blood cancer. She was diagnosed last October.
It was really a shock to me when they said that because I didn’t know what it was. They just said it was acute lymphoblastic leukemia. They didn’t say cancer, so I didn’t think it was that serious.”
Despite weekly chemotherapy appointment, Hannah remains positive and has quite a sense of humor. “I make jokes about it. I know that’s really bad, but I make jokes about how I’m bald.”
It’s her upbeat attitude and, of course, love of hummus that inspired Meddys owner Alex Harb to create Wichita Hummus Day.
“She loves hummus and so we thought bringing hummus as our thing to give out to other people is something that she loves, said Meddys General Manager Lessie Vermillion. “So let’s share it with the rest of Wichita.”
Meddys voted as having the best hummus for the last two years, will be giving out free hummus, and all donations will go to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
Hannah says she is humbled by the fundraiser.
“It’s just amazing because it helps so many people besides me. Children and adults are being affected by this disease. It’s just terrible. No one should have to go through this.”
Both Meddys locations — 7906 East Harry and 2300 North Greenwich — will participate. There’s no purchase necessary.
Meddys’ owner plans to make Wichita Hummus Day an annual event.
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