Eat, drink, donate: Edmonton restaurants to join national fundraiser for HIV/AIDS support programs

Nearly a dozen restaurants will be raising money for HIV Edmonton on Wednesday.

If you plan on going out to eat on Wednesday, nine Edmonton restaurants will see that your money goes toward programs and services supporting the needs of those living with or impacted by HIV/AIDS.

A Taste For Life is a national fundraiser that partners with city restaurants to help maintain local programs.

Participating restaurants across the city will donate a portion of their sales throughout the day or the evening Wednesday to HIV Edmonton.

“HIV Edmonton uses the funds raised from Taste For Life to support primarily food security needs that we have in our space and with our community, to subsidize food hampers,” said executive director Catherine Broomfield. “We do a weekly hot meal … you’d be supporting the restaurants who do great work, and then HIV Edmonton, also doing great work.”

Broomfield said her organization’s food security program doesn’t rely on other funding sources, meaning fundraisers like this one are what keeps the group afloat.

HIV Edmonton has been providing health-care services including free testing, treatment and referrals, essential hygiene and clothing items, food hampers and emergency supports for those living with HIV for 41 years.

There are the nine Edmonton restaurants participating in A Taste For Life on Wednesday:

• Highlevel Diner: 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., 10912 88 Ave.
• O2’s West Tap House and Grill: 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., 11066 156 St.
• El Puerto de Acajutla: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., 11302 107 Ave.
• Padmanadi: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., 10740 101 St.
• Evolution Wonderlounge (Evo): 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., 11508 Jasper Ave.
• Dolly’s Cocktails: 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., 9902 109 St.
• Pharoahs Restaurant: 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., 5524 Calgary Trail
• Blue Orchid Chinese Restaurant: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., 11235 Jasper Ave.
• PlayWright: from April 4 to April 26 during each run of Casey and Diana at the Citadel Theatre. $5 from every Prix Fixe menu will be donated.

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Darcy Seaton