Dining Out For Life changes date

For some it’s a reason to visit a favorite eatery, for others an excuse to try someplace new, and for all; it’s a way to donate money towards a worthy cause. Whatever the case, Dining Out For Life has become a tradition in the St. Louis area. Now in it’s 15th year, this venerable HIV/AIDS awareness and fundraising event has recently experienced a significant change that local organizers hope will keep that tradition going strong in the Metro area for years to come.

For the last 14 years, the St. Louis event has been held on the last Tuesday of November. But this year that’s changing-the event is being held on April 24, and will be held on the last Thursday of April from now on, according to Cheryl Oliver, executive director of St. Louis Effort For AIDS (EFA), the local AIDS service organization that coordinates the event.

Oliver said there were several reasons for the date change. She said St. Louis EFA wanted to get in sync with the national Dining Out For Life organization’s date, which has always been the last Thursday in April, and to take advantage of the national advertising campaign. That includes a $500,000, three-year advertising commitment from Subaru which began last year, and ad spots featuring Ted Allen, the “food and wine guy” on “Queer Eye For The Straight Guy” and numerous other shows, according to Matthew Palmer, director of operations and fund development for St. Louis EFA.

Oliver said the change also allows for more synergy with other national groups participating in the event.

“There really isn’t a national fundraising day specifically for AIDS,” she said, adding that if enough cities hold the event on the same day, Dining Out for Life could fill that void.

Oliver said that the new date is also beneficial because it’s no longer at the end of the year, when cash flow is an issue for EFA and its donors. As a United Way agency, St. Louis EFA is also committed to that organization’s advertising “blackout” during September and October, when advertising for St. Louis EFA-specific events has to be curtailed for the United Way giving campaign that occurs during those months. In the past, that left little time to ramp up promotional efforts for a November event.

And of course, there was always the weather.

“We never knew if we were going to get iced out or snowed out, the weather was always so unpredictable,” she said. Recent soggy conditions aside, Oliver hopes the April date will bring more people out and allow for outdoor seating at some restaurants, meaning more seats filled and more money raised.

The St. Louis Dining Out For Life is the third-oldest Dining Out event, and generally places in the top five national events in generated revenue. Palmer said about 24,000 diners are expected to participate, and last year approximately $200,000 was raised, a number he said the group expects to match this year. At least 25 percent of every check is donated to St. Louis EFA, and all of the money raised stays in St. Louis.

Palmer attributed the ongoing success of Dining Out For Life to the event’s longevity and it’s status as a local tradition. Great volunteers and donations from sponsor organizations and a well-coordinated marketing effort also make the event a success.

“It’s just a fun time to go out with your friends and have dinner,” Palmer said. “We’re not asking anyone to do anything out-of-the-ordinary.” And with 124 restaurants participating, diners have a choice of everything from the neighborhood burger joint to a five-star, white tablecloth experience.

Oliver and Palmer said there has been a lot of success when neighborhoods are able to have several restaurants participating, like those in The Grove and The Loop. The plan is to target new neighborhoods next year to promote the festive atmosphere and general good time that happens when multiple eateries in an area get onboard.
About Dining Out For Life

Dining Out For Life was started by a volunteer for ActionAIDS in Philadelphia in 1990. The annual event now takes place in 47 cities, and an average of five to six cities a year are added to the roster. Last year, some 250,000 diners in the U.S. and Canada raised more than $3.5 million.

For more information on this year’s Dining Out For Life and to see which restaurants are participating, go to www.stlefa.org or www.diningoutforlife.com, and make sure to get your reservations in early.