Dozens of Bay Area restaurants are taking part in a fundraiser Thursday to help protect abortion rights.
More than 70 restaurants in San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, San Ramon, Port Costa and Martinez will have special offers throughout the day, with the goal of raising $40,000 for Planned Parenthood.
The fundraiser comes at time that access to abortions and other reproductive health care are becoming increasingly restricted in certain parts of the United States.
"The discussion about abortion should be one about health care," said Emily Hayward, with the group Bay Area Fight For Abortion Rights. . "So our quest is to normalize this topic, and help us protect a right that in our minds is essential and should be sacred."
Participating restaurants have come up with a variety of ways in which to donate.
"Certain places are doing a tasting menu, the entire proceeds of which will be going to our fundraiser," Hayward. "Other places are donating a dollar per beer, or a dollar per loaf of bread."
Getting local restaurants involved is one way to show strength in numbers as a community. "Restaurants are a place where people can come together, and meet and make a change," said Hayward. "Restaurants don't always exist in a vacuum of being about just food and just service."
Check out the complete list of participating restaurants for more information.
