‘Dining out for Life’ starts Thursday in Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley

Dining Out For Life, an annual fundraising event that has collected more than 100 million dollars for community-based organizations that serve people living with or impacted by HIV since its inception in 1991 — will take place in Palm Springs and across the Coachella Valley on Thursday, April 27, 2023.

Every year since 2005 — save for 2020 and 2021, when COVID-19 derailed best-laid plans — Greater Palm Springs has participated in the all-day/all-night affair on behalf of DAP Health. And on each of those occasions, locals, snowbirds, and even tourists have swelled with pride and come out with a vengeance to earn much-needed monies while enjoying the generosity of participating local restaurants, bars, and bakeries that donate anywhere from 30 to 110% of their entire day and evening’s receipts — not just the profits — to the popular effort.

Thanks to the benevolent support of participating restaurants, volunteers, and community members, Greater Palm Springs has grown to become the second-most successful market in the country.

In 2022, 68 desert restaurants participated to raise $207,000 — more than San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, and other large urban centers. In fact, the desert — with its Indio-Cathedral City Palm Springs 2022 metro population of 487,000 — came in second only to Denver, whose current population is almost 3 million!

With more than 12,000 local bighearted gourmands expected to dine out for life at breakfast, lunch, and/or dinner this year, the 2023 goal is for Dining Out For Life Greater Palm Springs to grab the number one spot.

Eager participants are urged to visit daphealth.org/dofl, make reservations well in advance, and prepare to sate their hunger and thirst three times or more on April 27 to beat the North American record right here in our back yard. If their favorite breakfast, lunch, or dinner spot hasn’t yet made its participation public, diners should speak up and urge the powers that be to sign up ASAP.

The umbrella organization’s website states that each year, “more than 50 local HIV service organizations partner with 2,400+ participating restaurants, 4,100+ volunteers, and 300,000+ diners to raise over $4.5 million for people living with HIV/AIDS in the United States and Canada. The best part? All funds raised through a city’s Dining Out For Life event stay in that city to provide help and hope to people living with or impacted by HIV/AIDS.”

“At its heart, Dining Out For Life is a win-win community event where people get together with friends to feast for the greater good,” says DAP Health CEO David Brinkman. “Each year, I’m awestruck not only by the generosity of our participating restaurateurs, but by the enthusiasm and pride of our deeply committed desert dwellers. What a genius way to have fun while giving back.”

Participating Restaurants at Press Time

•  533 Viet Fusion
• 1501 Uptown Gastropub
• Alcazar
• Aspen Mills Bakery & Café
• Birba
• Blackbook
• Chicken Ranch
• Clandestino
• Coachella Valley Coffee
• Eight4Nine Restaurant & Lounge
• El Mirasol at Los Arboles Hotel
• El Mirasol Cocina Mexicana
• El Patio Palm Springs
• Elmer’s
• FARM
• Gelato Granucci
• Hunters Nightclub Palm Springs
• Impala Bar & Grill PSP
• Johannes
• Johnny Costa’s Ristorante
• Juniper Table
• King’s Highway
• Lulu California Bistro
• Mr. Lyons
• Palm Greens Café
• Purple Room
• Seymour’s
• Shop(pe) Ice Cream & Shop
• So-Pa at L’Horizon
• Tac/Quila
• The Front Porch
• The Tropicale Restaurant & Lounge
• Toucans Tiki Lounge
• Townie Bagels Bakery Café
• Trio Restaurant
• Willie’s Modern Fare