My father, MINOR J. ALLEN, SR will be celebrating his 80th Birthday on December 2nd 2016 and in that honor I am requesting letters of congratulations from a cross section of people and leaders he has touched locally and nationally in his historic lifetime in professional food services to present to him on that day!!  Those letters of congratulations to him can be sent directly to me Mark Allen at my National Black Wall Street Chicago office address 4655 South King Drive, Suite 203, Chicago, Illinois 60653 

The most major highlights of my fathers historic professional food service career and religious and civic involvement include:

* Over 20 years at the former McCormick Hotel in Chicago where he served as restaurant manager; meetings and banquets manager

* co-owner of the first Dixie Kitchen Restaurant in Hyde Park

* manager of the Rev. Johnnie Coleman's Banquet Facility on 119th & Loomis known as Chicago Celebrations and other names

* Owner of the former Sportsmans Lounge and Deli on 79th & Halsted in Chicago 

* marched with Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr in Chicago; member of Dr. King's Chicago SCLC 'Operation Breadbasket' headquarters in Chicago, then founding member of Operation PUSH under Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr 

* founding member of the original St. James Church Of God In Christ at 4147 West Roosevelt Road in Chicago under the late Bishop Jesse Campbell, now under the leadership of the late elder Bishop Campbell's son, now Bishop Willie James Campbell

* founding member and current member of The Sion Temple Church Of God In Christ at the corner of 79th & Wood in Chicago under the leadership of my late uncle Elder Delmus Allen, Sr, now under the leadership of Rev. William Bibbs   

* was married to my mother Ollie Allen,  his childhood sweetheart from Harrison High School from Blytheville Arkansas for 56 years before my mom died from breast cancer in February 2014  

* father to his children, Minor Allen Jr, Mark, and Michele and his two grandchildren, granddaughter DaNia Allen, and grandson Markus Allen 

I want to thank all of you in advance for what I just KNOW will be an overwhelming number of letters of congratulations!!!  

GOD BLESS