Over 100 restaurants in WNC will participate in WNCAP’s annual HIV/AIDS fundraiser
Dining Out For Life (DOFL) is an annual event benefiting HIV Prevention & Care that takes place in nearly 50 cities across the nation. This year, Dining Out For Life is on Thursday, April 30th, 2020. On April 30th participating restaurants will donate 20% of their gross sales to the local HIV/AIDS Service Organization. In Western North Carolina, that organization is WNCAP. “Dining Out For Life is WNCAP’s largest fundraiser. But its most important benefit is how many people are educated about the ongoing public health crisis of HIV in the South,” said WNCAP Executive Director Antonio del Toro.
Thousands of people in WNC are living with HIV, and 1 in 7 do not know their status. 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 engage with medical care so that their viral load can become undetectable, creating effectively zero risk of transmitting HIV sexually. Resources generated by Dining Out For Life help people survive and thrive in a world where there remains ample stigma surrounding HIV.
In 2019, thanks to the generosity of restaurants, diners, and volunteer Ambassadors, 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.
WNCAP assembles a team of over 250 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 will greet diners, thank them for supporting the event and offer up extra donation envelopes which will enter diners into a raffle for one of three great grand prizes! Simply by donating a few hours at their favorite participating 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. Simply dine out for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or dessert, and you just may save a life.