PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Dining Out For Life returns on April 29 for its 31st year, this time with dual purpose. In addition to supporting services for people living with HIV in the Philadelphia region, it will support restaurants hurt by the coronavirus pandemic.
Dining Out For Life may be mostly "dining in for life" again this year because of the pandemic. This time, participating restaurants will have some seating available in their dining rooms, but many diners are expected to opt for food delivery and takeout still.
Typically the public is asked to order dinner from participating restaurants, who then donation a portion of their proceeds to Philadelphia-based Action Wellness. This year, as was the case last year, the diners themselves are asked to make donations.
Kevin Burns, the nonprofit's executive director, says the goal is to raise $80,000 for the HIV and AIDS services of Action Wellness.
"That will get us by for a year, if we reach that goal," he said.
Burns says, because so many partnering restaurants are struggling themselves, the money raised will depend on independent contributions from diners.
"Normally restaurants give 33% of the food that they sell on the evening of Dining Out For Life, and so we didn’t ask them for that contribution last year or this year during COVID," Burns said.
He says he hopes the event will also help restaurants survive.
"Because it feels like this last year has been about survival, right? And supporting one another and working together to get everybody through this pandemic."
To learn more about the fundraiser, go to diningoutforlife.com