Dining Out for Life Wrap Up

I hope everyone had a great time Dining Out for Life on Thursday! Based on all the TwEATs we received, it seems like everyone had fun supporting our cause.

For me, Thursday started with meeting up with Felipe Rose, of the Village People, who has been our social media ambassador for the last few months. Felipe and his partner, Michael, were delightful, and I had so much fun going to lunch with them and walking around the city to visit a few participating restaurants. Every restaurant was packed with people, even at lunch time!

That night, we went to a dinner at Butcher & Singer, where Ted Allen joined us, along with representatives from Action AIDS and Subaru, and Philadelphia's Mayor, Michael Nutter. Dining Out for Life started in Philadelphia twenty years ago, and it was such a privilege meeting everyone who made this organization possible. It was quite a celebration with good food, good service and good company.

Below is an article about Felipe Rose, Ted Allen and Pam Grier, our celebrity sponsors. They have been so incredible to us and I want to thank them all for believing in our cause. While I unfortunately did not get a chance to meet the divine Pam Grier, Ted Allen and Felipe Rose made the night incredibly special.
We have not yet received word on how much money has been raised altogether, however it seems that the Denver area raised an incredible amount for their non-profit, Project Angel Heart. Read more here. Thank you Denver!

In the next few days we will have more pictures from the event. Right now, I just want to thank all the amazing restaurants who participated this year and extend that thanks to the amazing staff working there. Also, a big thanks and congratulations to the non-profits across the country who were able to raise money from this event. Finally, thank you to all of you out there who Dined Out for Life! It is inspiring to know so many went out and supported an amazing cause. Keep reading the blog for more pictures and updates, and remember to continue the fight against HIV/AIDS!

What is Ted Allen talking about this month?

Ted Allen is the lovable food expert who was part of the fab five in Queer Eye for a Straight Guy, and is now currently hosting Chopped on the food network. He is also a Dining Out for Life spokesmodel this year, and we could not be happier to have him on board.

Ted Allen talks to The Advocate about what he is passionate about this month, and we make the top of the list! Many thanks to Ted Allen for reminding everyone how important and easy it is to participate in Dining Out for Life.

Read more about what Allen has to say about us, and find out what else he is passionate about this month, here.

ActionAIDS Celebrates 20 Years of "Dining Out for Life"

April 29, 2010 is the date of the 20th annual Dining Out for Life, when participating restaurants donate one-third of their proceeds to local AIDS service organizations. The idea is simple - dine out, fight AIDS - and strikingly effective. Last year, the nearly 200 restaurants that participated in the Philadelphia event raised $290,000.

"It's amazing how far we've come in the last two decades," said ActionAIDS executive director Kevin Burns. "In our first year, with just a handful of restaurants in Philly, we raised about $20,000. Today, it is our largest fundraiser. Through the gracious support of the restaurant community, and the thousands of people who dine out that night, we are able to provide

year-round education, testing and life-sustaining support."

Participating restaurants include London Grill, Mexican Post, Rembrandts, Venture Inn, Westbury and Zocalo - all six of which been involved for the last 20 years. Iron Chef Jose Garces - who made a cameo appearance in this year's Public Service Announcement alongside "Food Network" host Ted Allen and actress Pam Grier - will also participate with five of his local restaurants taking part: Amada, Chifa, Distrito, Tinto and Village Whiskey.

Stephen Starr, whose Starr Restaurant Organization participates in DOFL each year, received last year's "Friend for Life Award," along with Subaru of America SVP/Chief Marketing Officer Tim Mahoney. Both advocates were recognized for their commitment to "nourishing charitable, community causes," said Burns. The awards were announced in a ceremony at Starr's Parc - one of his 13 Philadelphia restaurants. This year's winners will be announced on April 29.

ActionAIDS developed Dining Out for Life in 1991, selling it five years later to a newly formed non-profit, Dining Out for Life International, at a price of just $1 so the idea could grow to include other cities. Today, DOFL is held in 53 cities in North America, includes 3,500 restaurants and raises nearly $4 million annually. The monies raised are used to fund care, prevention, education, testing, counseling and other essential AIDS services in each city. It is sponsored by Subaru of America.

A complete list of participating restaurants will be available after March 15. For more information, call 1-877-EAT4LIFE (1-877-328-4543) or go HERE

Pam Grier Luvs Miami and helps to benefit the LGBT Community!

Pam Grier, of "The L Word" fame, hit up Miami to host a week-long party for Miami Beach's famous Winter Party Festival.

This celebration, which benefits the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, grew out from a one-time dance party for charity into a week-long bonanza of parties, art shows and beach fiestas.

Says Grier, "This event is much bigger than all of us. Any way to make people aware of the LGBT community is a good thing. Just like 'The L Word' changed society, events like this do too."

Check out the full article HERE.

Behind the scenes of the 2010 DOFL PSA with Pam Grier and Ted Allen!

Below, check out what Ted Allen has to say about the Philadelphia restaurant scene:

The NEW Dining Out For Life PSA!!

Ted Allen, Pam Grier and Jose Garces are lookin' good while doin' good!

CHECK IT OUT:

And don't forget! Dining Out For Life begins in Washington DC on March 11th, followed shortly by Okanagan Region in Canada on March 25th! Make your reservations, eat a delicious meal, help save lives and have a great time!

SUBARU fights HIV/AIDS alongside DOFL!

Subaru ain't just cars, kiddos. It's a company that gives back and believes in fighting HIV/AIDS alongside Dining Out For Life. We'd like to share a snippet of a recent article about Subaru's battle against HIV/AIDS and encourage you all to support this socially conscious company (perhaps next time you need new wheels?). This article is in regards to the upcoming 2010 DOFL events going on in over 55 cities across North America:

"Support for this event has grown to over 250,000 diners, thanks in large part to the efforts of Dining Out For Life Spokesperson Ted Allen, host of Food Network's primetime competition series Chopped. Allen will be joined by Pam Grier, actress, advocate and author of a soon-to-be released memoir Foxy--My Life In Three Acts. Both will appear with Food Network's newest Iron Chef, Jose Garces in a Public Service Announcement produced by Shooters, Inc. Additionally, singer Felipe Rose best known as the Native American Indian of The World Famous Village People, has volunteered to join the cause as Social Ambassador rallying supporters to Dine Out via social media on April 29th."

And as always, folks, be sure to check out your own local Dining Out For Life: I'M HUNGRY!

Events are starting soon!

The total adorable-ness of our Celebrity Spokepeeps, Pam Grier and Ted Allen!

Awwww! Being great and helping to save lives! Their big hearts make them extra adorable!

OMG. Seriously, don't your hearts just melt at the cuteness of Pam Grier and Ted Allen? We're even more mushy about them because they were doing a new PSA for Dining Out For Life, with the ever awesome Iron Chef Jose Garces, who is also too cute with his winsome smile! Thank you a million times to Pam Grier, Ted Allen and Jose Garces for doing this! Also big thank you to Hunter Willis Studios (click the link to see all the photos from DOFL and other work) for photographing things so we can look back over and over again at this wonderful time! Buckets 'o' love!!

If it's wrong to want to kiss Jose Garces on the cheeks, then I don't want to be right!

It's like they're playfully arguing as to who is cuter: You're cuter! No, no! You are!

Apparently they resolved that both were just as equally "too cute". DOFL never looked better!

Upcoming live-tweeting PSA with Ted Allen & Pam Grier

Hey folks! This Friday DOFL celebrity co-spokesies Pam Grier and Ted Allen are going to be filming a very special PSA for Dining Out For Life 2010. AND we'll be live-tweeting during filming, so all you lovely interweb pals of ours can tweet in with questions for them, suggestions, stories, or even just nice thoughts and comments. BOO-YAH! (Follow us on Twitter: DineOut4Life).

Ted Allen, who taught a great many of us all how to cook (thanks to you my BF no longer eats what we sardonically refer to as "bachelor food"), can be seen in his show "Chopped" on the Food Network. And March 8th he'll be judging a culinary competition fundraising event, SAVOR, for HIV/AIDS. If you're in town, try to check it out!

And of course, if you're going to fight a mega-monster disease like HIV/AIDS, who wouldn't want Pam Grier on their team? The original butt-kickin' super lady, started out in 1970's exploitation flicks. In 1997, a whole new generation of peeps fell in love with her in Tarantino's "Jackie Brown". Most recently seen in Smallville, she's also got a movie coming up with Queen Latifah, called "Just Wright".

Dining Out For Life would like to take a moment and tell both Pam Grier and Ted Allen THANK YOU for your continued support in the fight against HIV/AIDS. We think you're both tops and can't wait to unveil this lil' video piece we'll be producing together. Here's to a bangin' 2010 DOFL!