About Us
Dining Out for Life is April 29!
02/22/2010
Contacts:
Carol A. Poore
President and CEO
Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS
(602) 307-5330, Ext. 2213
cpoore@swhiv.org
Join thousands in the fight against HIV and AIDS during the one-day event
DINING OUT FOR LIFE presented by azcentral.com
to benefit HIV/AIDS programs in Arizona on April 29, 2010
PHOENIX, Ariz. (February 19, 2010) - On Thursday, April 29 thousands of individuals throughout Canada and the United States will dine out to show their support for HIV and AIDS. Join in the fun by dining out in Phoenix during the 2010 Dining Out For Life presented by azcentral.com to benefit Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS.
Nearly 120 different restaurants and more than 15 sponsors will participate statewide in this one-day international event. Each will donate a portion of the day's proceeds to support HIV/AIDS programs and services at Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS in Phoenix and Northland Cares in Northern Arizona.
With the help of Dining Out For Life and other fundraising initiatives, Southwest Center has been able to provide 70 percent of Arizona's nearly 13,000 residents infected with HIV/AIDS a combination of prevention, research and wellness support. Additionally, these funds have helped Southwest Center's 16-year clinical trials research program bring 27 of the 30 available HIV/AIDS drugs to the global market. As the Valley continues to grow, the cases of HIV/AIDS have continued to grow as well; nearly 4,000 individuals are estimated to be undiagnosed in the Phoenix area.
"Through Southwest Center's community prevention and education initiatives, we reach out to more than 30,000 individuals annually who are at-risk for obtaining and transmitting HIV and AIDS," said Carol Poore, president and CEO of Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS. "Dining Out for Life provides a significant opportunity for our community of supporter to support our critical work while simply dining out and having fun."
Founded in 1991, the idea of Dining Out For Life was created by an Action AIDS volunteer in Philadelphia. Two years later, the event went international. Today, with the help of celebrity spokespeople Ted Allen and Pam Grier, Dining Out for Life includes over 55 cities and 3,500 restaurants throughout North America, collectively raising over $3 million annually for HIV/AIDS programs.
Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS is the only agency in the nation to combine prevention and education programs, health and wellness services, and research and clinical trials in a single location.
Northland Cares provides HIV/AIDS testing, medical, nutrition and behavioral health services to clients in Northern Arizona with offices in Prescott, and satellite offices in Cottonwood and Payson.
For more information or to get involved, call the Southwest Center at (602) 307-5330, Ext. 2221 or visit www.swhiv.org. For a list of participating restaurants and to find one near you visit www.diningoutforlife.com/Phoenix. Also, follow Southwest Center on Twitter at www.twitter.com/SWCforHIVAIDS or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/DOFLinPHX to learn more about Dining Out for Life.
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About Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS
Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS is Arizona's oldest and largest nonprofit AIDS service organization providing a combination of prevention, research and wellness support to serve 70 percent of Arizona's nearly 13,000 residents infected with HIV/AIDS who live in Maricopa County.
Since 1988, Southwest Center has been on the front lines addressing a steady increase in the demand for HIV/AIDS testing and counseling, prevention education, wellness support services, and clinical trials to help Arizona men, women and teens impacted by the disease.
About Northland Cares
Northland Cares provides HIV/AIDS testing, medical, nutrition and behavioral health services to clients in Northern Arizona with offices in Prescott, and satellite offices in Cottonwood and Payson. HIV testing is provided throughout all of Northern Arizona. The mission of Northland Cares is to improve the quality of life of those infected and affected by HIV/AIDS in Northern Arizona.
About Dining Out For Life International
Dining Out For Life® is an annual fundraising event involving the generous participation of volunteers, corporate sponsors and restaurants. In exchange for their financial support, restaurants are listed in a city wide marketing campaign in an effort to increase customer traffic.
In 1991, Dining Out For Life® was created by an ActionAIDS volunteer in Philadelphia. Dining Out is now produced in over 55 cities throughout the United States and Canada. Nearly $4 million dollars a year is raised to support the missions of agencies throughout North America.
About Ted Allen
Emmy Award winner Ted Allen is host of "Chopped" and "Food Detectives," two primetime series on Food Network. He was a judge on the first four seasons of Bravo's "Top Chef" and Food Network's "Iron Chef America," and was the food and wine specialist on the groundbreaking, Emmy-winning Bravo series "Queer Eye," which had a 99-episode run. He is author of "The Food You Want to Eat: 100 Smart, Simple Recipes" (Clarkson-Potter), a cookbook that features easy, all-natural recipes.
Ted holds an M.A. in journalism from New York University, with an advanced certificate in the school's Science and Environmental Reporting Program, and a B.A. in psychology from Purdue University. He lives in New York with his longtime partner, Barry Rice.
About Pam Grier
Pam Grier's film career began in the early 1970s in Beyond the Valley of the Dolls and then starring in a string of women-in-prison and blaxploitation films such as Women in Cages,Sheba Baby,Coffy and Foxy Brown. Quentin Tarantino revived her sexy superhero role in homage to her earlier portrayals as what he termed "the first female action hero" in his 1997 hit Jackie Brown. Pam is one of a few African American actresses to have received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress.
Pam recently played Kit Porter on the hit Showtime series "The L Word", now running on LOGO. She occasionally plays a recurring character in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and has made guest appearances on Miami Vice and The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. Most recently, Pam portrayed Amanda Waller in the CW TV series Smallville and co-stars in the forthcoming film Just Wright with Queen Latifah and Paula Patton. She spends her free time on her ranch in Colorado with her beloved horses and dogs.