Photo Flash: City of Las Vegas Names Today 'Rick Moonen Day'

Today, (Wednesday, April 1, 2015) restaurateur and advocate for sustainable seafood Chef Rick Moonen received a City of Las Vegas proclamation from Mayor Carolyn Goodman on the zaniest day of the year, declaring April 1 as "Rick Moonen Day," or as Moonen likes to call it "Moonen No Foolin' Day," in honor of the fun-loving chef and his contributions to the city. Scroll down for photos from the ceremony!

Since his emergence on the Las Vegas restaurant scene in 2005, with the opening of rm seafood at The Shoppes at Mandalay Place and most recently Rx Boiler Room, Moonen has been one of the leading advocates and providers of sustainable seafood practices in the city for over a decade.

Moonen has played a pivotal role in the Las Vegas community with his giving spirit, being a strong supporter of Chefs to the Max, Fight MSA for Kerry Simon, Keep Memory Alive, Life is Beautiful Festival, Scleroderma Research Foundation, and Three Square Food Bank. In addition, April marks the celebration of Earth Month, a month-long celebration that perfectly coincides with his tireless efforts of being a strong voice in protection of our world's oceans and the creatures that inhabit them.

Moonen will be offering a special Rick Moonen Day menu at rm seafood for tonight only, available in the bar and lounge. Guests are invited to enjoy $4 select bottle beers; $6 well drinks, as well as specials from the raw bar including $2 littleneck clams, $2 mussels, $8 seafood escabeche, $12 half-dozen oysters and half-dozen gulf shrimp. Other dishes include $6 sushi roll offerings, as well as $4 small bites such as a lobster roll or fish taco.

Chef and cookbook author, Rick Moonen, has been one of the country's leading advocates for the sustainable seafood movement for more than 25 years, bringing national awareness to this subject near and dear to his heart. His restaurant, Rick Moonen's rm seafood at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, showcases his commitment to sustainability without foregoing culinary creativity and innovation, and has been critically acclaimed by local and national press alike. In 2010 Rick made a memorable appearance on Bravo's Top Chef Masters, nearly taking home the title and raising thousands of dollars and national awareness for Three Square food bank in Las Vegas. In May of 2011 Monterey Bay Aquarium honored Rick as their "Chef of the Year" for his tireless efforts towards sustainability. He's been featured on CNN, TODAY, Good Morning America, CBS Early Show, Dan Rather Reports, and many more. Find him on Twitter @RickMoonen, Facebook.com/ChefRickMoonen, on Instagram @ChefMoonen or www.rickmoonen.com.

Photos courtesy of City of Las Vegas.