Final tally for Dining Out For Life donations from 50 local restaurants and take-out/in-person participants

BUFFALO, NY – ‘Dining Out For Life,’ the national food and drink fundraising event and the region’s largest annual HIV fundraiser, raised more than $90,000 during its October fundraiser in Western New York, during which more than 50 restaurants donated a percentage of their sales to Evergreen Health, a local healthcare organization that specializes in HIV and hepatitis C testing, treatment and care, as well as drug user health services.

“HIV is a treatable chronic health condition, and with treatment, people living with HIV can lead healthy lives. We thank the Western New York community and our restaurants for their generous donations – $90,000 that is going directly to our HIV testing, care and treatment,” said Rob Baird, director of advancement at Evergreen Health.

Dining Out For Life WNY has taken place for 19 consecutive years and raised more than $1,340,000 to provide services for those in Western New York living with HIV. Dining Out For Life is a food and drink event through which, by dining out at local restaurants, patrons donate to community-based organizations serving people living with or impacted by HIV. In Western New York, 25% or more of food and drink purchases are given to beneficiary Evergreen Health.

According to 2019 data:

  • 3,400 people are living with HIV/AIDS within the eight counties of Western New York • Of those individuals, 2,929 know their diagnosis
  • Evergreen Health cares for 1,593 patients living with HIV/AIDS (as of 2020)

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a virus that passes from person to person through sexual contact or contact with HIV-positive blood. If left untreated HIV can lead to AIDS. The virus attacks a specific type of immune system cell in the body, known as the CD4 cell or the T-cell. HIV destroys these cells, making it harder for your body to fight off other infections.

2021 Dining Out For Life WNY was presented by KeyBank, which matched, dollar for dollar, money donated by diners the night of the event, up to $10,000. KeyBank teammates also volunteered at restaurants, greeting guests and encouraging contributions.

Additional information about Dining Out For Life, including the full list of participating restaurants, is available at www.DiningOutForLife.com/WNY.

About Dining Out For Life
Dining Out For Life is a national fundraising event that takes place in 60 cities annually, and raises funds and awareness to help people who are affected by HIV and AIDS. Western New York’s Dining Out for Life is in its 19th year. All funds raised stay local, and support Evergreen Health’s HIV-focused programs and services. For more information, visit www.diningoutforlife.com/wny/

About Evergreen Health
Evergreen Health fosters healthy communities by providing medical, supportive, and behavioral services to individuals and families in Western New York – especially those who are living with chronic illness or who are underserved by the healthcare system. For more information, visit www.evergreenhs.org

About KeyBank
KeyBank’s roots trace back nearly 200 years to Albany, New York. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, KeyCorp is one of the nation’s largest bank-based financial services companies, with assets of approximately $186.3 billion at December 31, 2021. Key provides deposit, lending, cash management, and investment services to individuals and businesses in 15 states under the name KeyBank National Association through a network of approximately 1,000 branches and approximately 1,300 ATMs. Key also provides a broad range of sophisticated corporate and investment banking products, such as merger and acquisition advice, public and private debt and equity, syndications and derivatives to middle market companies in selected industries throughout the United States under the KeyBanc Capital Markets trade name. For more information, visit https://www.key.com. KeyBank is Member FDIC.