More than 150 restaurants, bars and coffee shops around the Twin Cities and greater Minnesota are partnering to donate portions of their sales to the fight against AIDS on Thursday.
Dining Out for Life is a national fundraising event in more than 50 cities around the country. In Minnesota, the proceeds donated will go to The Aliveness Project, a local non-profit organization and community center providing on-site meals, food shelf options, integrative therapies and more for individuals living with AIDS or HIV.
EagleBoltBar, Finnish Bistro, Lush Food Bar, The Saloon, Twin Cities Leather and Latte and Bayport's L'Etoile Du Nord Cafe (pictured above) are all donating 100 percent of their sales for the one-day drive. Stewart's and Summit Beer Hall have pledged 50 percent. Other restaurants – a lineup that includes Brewer's Table, Rainbow Chinese, Hola Arepa, Pizzeria Lola, Ngon Bistro, Hi-Lo Diner and many, many more – are giving anywhere from 20 to 35 percent.
Diners can find a full list of Minnesota's participating restaurants – as well as their pledged percentage of contributions – here.
Last year, the project raised more than $270,000 from 38,000 individual diners.
Over 1.2 million people in the U.S. are living with HIV infection, which over time progresses to AIDS and a life-threatening failure of the immune system. The Aliveness Project serves about 1,700 adults and children living with HIV and AIDS, about 75 percent of which live in poverty.
