Mark Matthias, owner and manager of Beaches Restaurant and Bar, was presented the Kyle W. Corwin Lifetime Achievement Award this week by the Vancouver Business Journal. The award recognizes one person annually who has spent their career leading, mentoring, building a business and giving back.
Matthias, 56, co-founded Beaches in 1995. The restaurant now has two locations – one on the Columbia River in Vancouver and the other in the passenger terminal of Portland International Airport.
While best known for his role at Beaches, Matthias has been building and serving the community through personal commitment and generosity for many years. Shortly after founding Beaches Restaurant, Matthias launched Beaches Charity Fund, a nonprofit organization that raises funds to provide basic needs and educational programs in order to help kids succeed.
In 2011, the fund reached its goal of giving $1 million in donations back to the community. The nonprofit is now well on its way to reaching a new goal of $2 million by 2016.
