Make a difference, one bite at a time
Who would have thought that treating yourself to a meal out on the town could also help improve the lives of thousands? On March 26, over 75 restaurants across the Lower Mainland (and Whistler) will participate in the 21st annual Dining Out For Life event, and contribute 25 per cent of their food sales to support local men, women and children living with HIV/AIDS.
Twenty-one years ago, when Dining Out For Life first called on the B.C. restaurant community, AIDS was the leading cause of death for North Americans between the ages of 25 and 44. Since then, rates of infection have slowed thanks to specialized education programs – and new treatments have significantly extended lifespans and improved lives.
(pictured, left to right: Chef Angus An of Maenam, Chef David Hawksworth of Hawksworth Restaurant, and Chef Trevor Bird of Fable Kitchen)
However, over 3,000 new cases of HIV/AIDS are still reported each year, and more than 70,000 Canadians are living with the virus right now. This is why B.C.’s hospitality community continues to rally together annually for Dining Out For Life – and efforts since 1994 have raised over $3 million to provide men, women and children affected by HIV/AIDS with free programs and services through not-for-profits Friends For Life and A Loving Spoonful. Provisions such as nutritional counselling, meal planning and the delivery of over 110,000 meals each year to the homes of those living with HIV/AIDS have greatly improved the lives of those in need.
So dine out at participating restaurants on March 26 and make a difference, one bite at a time.
