Press release from Western North Carolina AIDS Project:
Dining Out For Life, the biggest restaurant-led charity benefit in Western NC, is on Thursday, April 30, 2020. Dozens of our area’s most well-known restaurants, breweries, and coffee shops will donate 20% of sales to WNCAP for HIV prevention and care. Dining Out For Life is the biggest day of HIV/AIDS awareness and fundraising in Asheville and WNC. Make your reservations today!
“Dining Out For Life is WNCAP’s largest fundraiser. But its most important benefit is how many people are educated about the ongoing crisis of HIV in the South,” says WNCAP Executive Director Antonio del Toro.
In 2019, thanks to the generosity of our participating restaurants, DOFL was honored with a “Best Of WNC” award by Mountain Xpress for Best Local Fundraising Event. Asheville also ranked in the top 10 DOFL cities – outranking New York and Chicago! That is truly a testament to the community spirit (and love of fine local cuisine) that distinguishes our beautiful home.
1.1 million Americans are living with HIV, including 30,000 of our neighbors in North Carolina; 1 in 7 do not know they are HIV-positive. WNCAP helps our local community access HIV prevention tools, including PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) a daily pill to help prevent HIV. WNCAP also helps people living with HIV access medical care so that their viral load can become undetectable, creating effectively zero risk of transmitting HIV sexually (Undetectable equals Untransmittable, or U=U). Resources generated by Dining Out For Life help people survive and thrive in a world where there remains ample stigma surrounding HIV.
WNCAP assembles a team of over 200 enthusiastic volunteers to help support Dining Out For Life. “We work hard to recruit dependable community volunteers to serve as ‘Ambassadors’ during each meal shift at all of our Participating Restaurants,” explains WNCAP Community Resource Coordinator Chris Winebrenner. “The Ambassador’s role is to invite their family, friends, and colleagues to come out to eat at their assigned restaurant. Volunteer Ambassadors greet diners and invite them to join a raffle for three great prizes. By donating a few hours of their time at their favorite restaurant, Ambassadors are able to make a crucial difference in the lives of people living with HIV in our community.”
If you would like more information about becoming an Ambassador, please email Chris at wncapvolunteer@wncap.org.
Mark your calendars for Thursday, April 30th and make your reservations today for Dining Out For Life. Visit wncap.org/DOFL for a list of participating restaurants in your neighborhood.
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