ORLANDO, Fla., April 17, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Olive Garden invites families to celebrate and enjoy a special meal together on Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day on Thursday, April 24, and is offering one free children's menu item (children under 12) for every adult entree purchased that day.

This year, more than 37 million youth and adults are expected to participate in Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day at more than 3.5 million workplaces. Olive Garden has partnered with the Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Foundation since 2012, and last year more than 7,000 Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day participants visited Olive Garden restaurants nationwide.

"Olive Garden is proud to support the Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day Foundation and all it does to create enriching educational experiences for children around the world," said Jay Spenchian, Olive Garden's executive vice president of marketing. "By offering free kids meals we hope to make the day a little more special for parents and their children, and encourage everyone to join us for a family meal together."

The Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day free kid's meal coupon will be available later this week at OliveGarden.com. The coupon is valid for lunch and dinner with the purchase of any adult entree, including more than 20 new menu items recently introduced on Olive Garden's menu as part of the most comprehensive update in the restaurant's history.

To find the nearest Olive Garden restaurant, also visit OliveGarden.com. Connect with us at Facebook.com/OliveGarden, Twitter.com/OliveGarden and Instagram.com/OfficialOliveGarden.

ABOUT OLIVE GARDEN:
Olive Garden is the leading restaurant in the Italian dining segment with more than 800 restaurants, more than 96,000 employees and more than $3.6 billion in annual sales. Olive Garden is a division of Darden Restaurants, Inc., (NYSE: DRI), which owns and operates more than 2,100 restaurants that generate over $8.5 billion in annual sales. Headquartered in Orlando, Fla., and employing more than 200,000 people, Darden is recognized for a culture that rewards caring for and responding to people. In 2014, Darden was named to the FORTUNE "100 Best Companies to Work For" list for the fourth year in a row. Our restaurant brands - Red Lobster, Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Bahama Breeze, Seasons 52, The Capital Grille, Eddie V's and Yard House - reflect the rich diversity of those who dine with us. Our brands are built on deep insights into what our guests want. For more information, please visit www.darden.com.

ABOUT THE TAKE OUR DAUGHTERS AND SONS TO WORK FOUNDATION:
Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day is celebrated in every state and in countries on every continent, spreading very quickly throughout Africa, where girls' rights are not well respected, so many women's groups are anxious to support daughters being taken to workplaces to observe various types of jobs and the education needed for employment. Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Foundation also is beginning programs dealing with bullying. Find out more about us at www.DaughtersAndSonsToWork.org. Connect with us at Facebook.com/DaughtersAndSonsToWork.

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SOURCE Olive Garden