C.A.R.E. to Dine Committee seeking participating restaurants One-night event benefits St. Mary’s AIDS-patient assistance program

The idea behind the C.A.R.E. to Dine event is simple: dine out, and fight AIDS. Participating restaurants will donate 20 percent or more of food, beverage and alcohol sales on Sept. 26 to benefit clients of the Comprehensive AIDS Resource & Education Program (C.A.R.E.), the only full-service AIDS-patient assistance program in Long Beach and the South Bay; it is a department of St. Mary Medical Center.
C.A.R.E. to Dine participants will patronize participating restaurants on Thursday, Sept. 26, inviting their friends, family, coworkers, and personal contacts. Restaurants will benefit from increased sales and exposure to new customers, and donated funds will stay in the Long Beach community to be used for local medical and dental care, case management, food pantries, and other essential AIDS services.
Founded in 1986 by a St. Mary Medical Center Emergency Department social worker, the C.A.R.E. Program has provided specialized care for people with HIV, regardless of their ability to pay.
The C.A.R.E. to Dine Committee is still looking for participating restaurateurs and people who would like to dine out the evening of Sept. 26. For more information about C.A.R.E. to Dine 2013, contact Jay Villarreal at (562) 624-4987 or John Blasco at (562) 624-4915.
The Long Beach Museum of Art will host a kickoff party on Sunday, Aug. 25 from 4pm to 7pm.
For more information and to view a list of participating restaurants, visit careprogram.org/events/dine .