On Thursday, April 24, fighting HIV and AIDS in your community is as easy as picking up a menu.
This spring, over 75 of Vancouver Island's best-loved restaurants will come together to take part in Dining Out For Life, an annual
fundraiser that supports island programs and services for people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS.
This year Valley restaurants Genoa Bay Café and Amusé on the Vineyard as well as Tree House Café on Saltspring Island are taking part in the fundraiser.
One key area of support that directly benefits from Dining Out For Life is nutrition. "Nutrition plays a crucial role in keeping the effects of HIV and AIDS in check," said Gill Scadeng, nutrition program coordinator at AIDS Vancouver Island. "It's wonderful that people can come together over a great meal knowing they're helping to provide nourishment and care to others in their community."
For one day, participating restaurants will donate 25 per cent of food sales to AIDS Vancouver Island, an island-wide AIDS service organization. The annual event, now in its ninth year, has raised more than $200,000 for programs and services across Vancouver Island.
Dining Out For Life Vancouver Island is part of a larger international effort involving AIDS service organizations serving 60 cities and regions across North America. In 2013, Dining Out For Life events across the U.S. and Canada raised more than $4 million dollars for HIV/AIDS nutrition programs.