2016 Dining Out For Life LineUp

Taryn Jeffries

8 years ago

Many years ago, I helped to carry a panel of the AIDS Memorial Quilt for a man I had never met, though I had heard so many touching and loving stories of him. His name was Larry Smith, and he was my boyfriend at the time’s father’s partner. He died before I met my boyfriend. He was loved and regarded by so many people and I was sad to have missed out on that opportunity. My boyfriend’s family worked together to create the panel, and it took many hours, tears and memories to complete. My boyfriend was away at school in California when the Name Project came to Phoenix and his Father asked me if I would stand in for him. I can honestly say that I had never before or ever since been so honored. I proudly carried the panel with the rest of his family and was moved to tears by the experience.

Though I have never had a personal relationship with someone living with HIV or AIDS, I saw the aftermath for those that had, and I cannot imagine a more complicated and emotional struggle, not to mention the physical one. While the numbers of those affected is much smaller than in previous years, the fight and struggle is nowhere near over. Medications have been formulated that help suppress parts of the disease and to allow a longer life-span for those infected, it is still a very real and very serious diseases.

The 2016 Dining Out for Life event is an incredible organization that is very dear to my heart. Its an international fundraiser for the fight against HIV and AIDS. Each year local restaurants participate in the fundraiser by donating a portion of the proceeds on the last Thursday of April, this year that date is April 28^th. Locally, Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS receives the restaurant donations.

The restaurants that choose to participate are able to set their participation levels and some even create a special menu for the evening. Below you will find all the participating restaurants this year, separated by the amount of their donations for the event.

I would like to personally thank each and every one of these restaurants for participating and for continuing to fight for the continuing education, research and wellness programs. While we dream of a day that there is no need for Dining Out for Life, your participation means the world to individuals living with HIV and AIDS along with their friends and family.

If you are not able to dine at one of the participating restaurants on April 28^th, you are able to donate directly to Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS at any time. If you have a restaurant that you think would like to participate or are the owner of a restaurant that would like to participate, please call Bailey Smith at 602.595.8134. You can also call Bailey if you would like to volunteer for the event.

There are over 60 cities in the US that participate, so share the link for the International Dining Out For Life page with your friends and family so that they can find out where they can Dine Out for Life this year.

2016 Dining Out For Life Participants Providing 100% Donation

2016 Dining Out For Life Participants Providing 75% Donation

2016 Dining Out For Life Participants Providing 50% Donation

2016 Dining Out For Life Participants Providing 25% Donation

2016 Dining Out For Life Participants Providing a 20% Donation

2016 Dining Out For Life Participants Providing a 10% Donation