24 April 2014

18th Annual Dine Out For Life - Food and Fun!

Today I will participate in Food & Friends' 18th annual Dining Out for Life DC! today. Food & Friends reports that  more than 100 participating restaurants in DC, MD and VA will donate 25-110% of lunch and/or dinner  sales to AIDS service organizations. Sounds like a good deal to me for a worthwhile cause.
photo courtesy of TEP
 Fast Facts (courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC))                
  • Americans aged 50 and older have many of the same HIV risk factors as younger Americans.
  • Persons aged 55 and older accounted for 19% (217,300) of the estimated 1.1 million people living with HIV infection in the United States in 2010.
  • Older Americans are more likely than younger Americans to be diagnosed with HIV infection later in the course of their disease.

An associate asked me why I was participating.  I realized at the point I could either provide a sarcastic answer or  a very clear simple answer. Here's my answer:  I have supported similar activities such as Life Walk Dallas and Black Tie Dallas, so this is not new to me. I've lost a couple of friends to AIDS and if the proceeds from my dinner will help someone else I'm all for it. According to the CDC, women account for one in four people living with HIV in the United States; African- American women and Latinas are disproportionately affected at all stages of HIV infection. Lastly, the answer to the veiled question is I'm not a lesbian; I'm a humanitarian who has a great deal of empathy for the most vulnerable and those in need in our society.

For Gene, Peter and Coco. Gone too soon.


Bon Appetit!
Technicolor girl


image courtesy of Black Tie Dallas

No comments:

Post a Comment