Mobile and Baldwin County first responders are invited to enjoy a free lunch at the Original Oyster House on Sept. 11.

The Original Oyster House has been honoring law enforcement, firefighters, paramedics and sheriff officers in Mobile and Baldwin counties for 16 years. The 16th-annual Never Forget Lunch was established by the Original Oyster House restaurants in honor of the Sept. 11 first responders who gave their lives and risked their lives to save and protect and the first responders who serve the community every day.

The lunch will be available from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Gulf Shores and Mobile Causeway locations. An ID or first responder's uniform is required for a free dine-in-only lunch.

Blood Drive Tribute

LifeSouth Community Blood Centers will be at the Mobile Causeway Original Oyster House location for a blood drive in memory of the victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Blood donations collected during the Never Forget Lunch are distributed to local hospitals.

Blood donors will receive a specially designed T-shirt. Representatives from GulfQuest, USS Alabama Battleship Park, Wind Creek Hospitality, OWA Parks & Resort, Airboat Express and Visit Mobile will be passing out discounted tickets and raffle prizes to thank first responders.

The Original Oyster House has two locations: 3733 Battleship Parkway and 701 Gulf Shores Parkway, Gulf Shores. For more information, visit www.originaloysterhouse.com.

Original Oyster House celebrates employees

If you have a hankering for oysters, gumbo or chocolate chip peanut butter pie, Sept. 10 is not the day to go to the Original Oyster House.

The Original Oyster House will close Sunday, Sept. 10, to celebrate its employees at its 34th-annual Employee Picnic. Each year, the company treats employees and their families for a year of hard work with a Family Day at Waterville USA in Gulf Shores.

"We greatly appreciate our employees – without them, we couldn't continue to provide quality food and wonderful service that the Original Oyster House is known for," said Joie Biancardi, human resources manager. "We close both locations for the entire day and treat them, their family and their friends to a private picnic event at Waterville."

Both Original Oyster House locations will reopen Monday, Sept. 11.