http://nonamiaasheville.com
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Asheville restaurants come together in major way for Dining Out For Life
Dining Out For Life is the biggest AIDS fundraiser in western North Carolina. This yearʼs event is set for today, April 35 and will have 111 restaurants across the Asheville area participating.
“This has been a major, major success in the past years,” said Chef Pete Affatato of Nona Mia restaurant. “Harry [Brown, the event organizer] says we have raised more than $1 million in the 11 years weʼve done this. That puts our little town on at No. 5 in the nation for fundraising efforts.”
As part of the fundraising effort, Nona Mia is releasing a short promotional video – http://www.citizen-times.com/article/ 20130418/ASHEVILLESCENE/304180061/Asheville-Dining-Out-Life-back-11th-year. Harry, Chef Peter, Nona Mia general manager Richard Jones and Michel Baudouin owner of Bouchon and past president of Asheville Independent Restaurants appear in the video.
The group encourages everyone to come out and support the event. Chef Peter notes that every restaurant in Asheville is supporting Dining Out For Life.
“Thatʼs just another testimony to the people and businesses here in Asheville,” the chef said. “When there is a real cause, a real need, we come together and get things done.”
Participating restaurants, like Nona Mia, will donate 20 percent of the gross receipts for the night to WNCAP, Western North Carolina AIDS Project.
“Thatʼs 20 percent of the gross, not net. We are making a significant contribution across the city to WNCAP,” said Yolie Affatato, Chef Peterʼs wife. “We strongly believe in AIDS research and helping everyone afflicted by this disease. As we prepare for todayʼs meals and the hoped for mass of visitors, news that a baby has been cured of HIV is on our minds. That happened because of research funded by efforts like WNCAP.”
In addition to the 20 percent the restaurant kicks in, Chef Peter is encouraging patrons to include some extra in their bill for WNCAP. All donations directed to WNCAP will be set aside and tallied at the end of the night, he said. Asheville already has a history of that kind of support. Mr. Brown said the city is No. 2 in the nation “for actual dollars raised in extra donations.”
“That just reconfirms what we already know. Asheville and the surrounding areas have a heart as big as the South,” Chef Peter said. “The only reason weʼre not No. 1 is because of our size. The other communities ahead of us have a lot more people and more restaurants. But I bet you if itʼs totaled up per capita, Asheville leads everybody. Thatʼs just the kind of people who live here.”
A short video of the Nona Mia may be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Era8fzUzZQ. For more information about the restaurant please visit http://nonamiaasheville.com or call (828) 505-2028.
For more information about WNCAP, please visit www.wncap.org. For a detailed list of the participating restaurants and the national Dining Out for Life event, please visit http://www.diningoutforlife.com/asheville/restaurants.
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