The Coachella Valley rallies for health equity and HIV specialty care on the one-day-and-night-only annual foodie fundraising event.
By Daniel Vaillancourt
On Thursday, April 24, the Coachella Valley showed up very hungry and full of heart as Dining Out For Life Greater Palm Springs 2025 brought together more than 20,000 diners across 65 participating venues to support DAP Health in its ongoing mission to advance health equity for the region’s most vulnerable, especially those affected by HIV.
From the Cabazon Outlets to Palm Desert and every desert town in between, locals and tourists made breakfast meetings, lunch dates, happy hour gatherings, and dinner outings count. Even a quick coffee or a late-night cocktail played a vital role. And that’s the point — every meal, every moment mattered.
Record-Breaking Support Across the Region
The 21st annual local edition of the international Dining Out For Life movement underscored the valley’s reputation as a philanthropic powerhouse. Participating restaurants, cafés, and bars donated 33% to 100% of daily sales — not just profits — to DAP Health. Notably, as it does every year, Townie Bagels owners (and husbands) Bill Sanderson and Andy Wysocki went above and beyond, donating 110% of the day’s proceeds.
“I lived through the original [AIDS crisis] in the ’80s, so it’s near and dear to my heart,” says Sanderson. “Now it’s more important than ever that we participate because HIV is still here, people are still getting infected… . We all watch the news. [Federal] funds are being cut for a lot of programs, and we want to make sure that we can step up, as businesses, and help our community.”
Media Mobilization for Maximum Visibility
Local media lent their muscle to the cause in a big way. Local ABC affiliate KESQ News Channel 3’s Allie Anthony broadcast four live segments starting at 5:00 a.m. from Townie Bagels. Interviews featured Sanderson, DAP Health Chief Transformation Officer C.J. Tobe, Events and Partnerships Manager Rico Montero, and Community Health Programs Manager Manny Muro.
Tobe followed up with a heartfelt live segment on KGAY’s morning show with John Taylor.
Later, for NBC Palm Springs, DAP Health Chief of Brand Marketing Steven Henke appeared live from Chicken Ranch at 11:00 a.m., then from Rooster and the Pig at 5:00 p.m. while NBC Station Manager David Reese reported live from Eight4Nine Restaurant & Lounge.
Ambassadors: The Soul of the Event
As dinnertime descended, dozens of volunteer ambassadors filled venues valley-wide, welcoming patrons, sharing stories of DAP Health’s lifesaving work, and handing out the ever-popular, colorful “I Dined Out For Life!” lapel stickers — worn proudly by participants as badges of honor for dining just once or multiple times during the day and night.
These volunteers also distributed donation envelopes, enabling guests to make additional gifts directly to the cause. All monies stay in the community, funding specialty HIV care and wraparound services for those DAP Health patients who depend on the nonprofit, whose nearly 1,000 medical professionals serve a total of more than 88,000 patients from wildly diverse communities at 25 clinics, eight mobile units, and one Sprinter van from the Coachella Valley to the San Diego coast.
Why DOFLGPS Still Matters
As Sanderson says — and most experts would agree — HIV is not over! According to the CDC, despite the relatively widespread availability of PrEP and PEP for the prevention of HIV, in 2022 in the U.S., there were 31,800 new HIV infections. For that same year, it is estimated that 1.2 million people over the age of 13 were living with HIV in America. Of those, only 87% were aware of their status, while 13% had not officially been tested and/or diagnosed.
Dining Out For Life is a national movement, with 50+ local HIV service organizations, 2,400+ participating restaurants, and 300,000+ diners raising over $4.5 million annually. Best of all, every dollar raised in Greater Palm Springs stays here, ensuring not only that those living with HIV receive the care and support they need, but that education and prevention efforts are protected and expanded.
Powered by New and Trusted Local Partnerships
This year’s desert success was bolstered by new event partners that broadcast the foodie fundraising fun to their networks prior to, and on, the day. Visit Greater Palm Springs promoted the event through digital and physical platforms, and the Greater Coachella Valley Chamber of Commerce activated its membership to increase participation. Gastronomic social media influencers David Cox and David Witzke, of Dining With the Davids, also spotlighted eateries to energize the community and make them aware of DAP Health’s crucial mission.
The Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce also had DAP Health and Dining Out For Life on the cover of the spring issue of its PSILOVEYOU, the magazine it publishes in partnership with the city of Palm Springs.
Heightened Community Involvement at Local Eateries
While civic pride has always been high in Greater Palm Springs for Dining Out For Life, in 2025, many restaurants reported a veritable feeding frenzy compared to years past. Liz Ostoich — owner of Tac/Quila, FARM, Clandestino, and The Front Porch — verified that she broke her own record by more than $5,000 to land at a total of $41,499 for all four of her establishments. And that’s just from diners’ checks, not from supplemental donations.
Bar Cecil was mobbed all night, and Rooster and the Pig (recently named by USA Today as one of the top restaurants in the country and the top restaurant in Palm Springs) had 90 people in line prior to opening for dinner service, and ultimately accomplished 3.5 seatings for a total of 410 diners. That number — more than $12,000 earned — compares to a high season Saturday night. Over at Johannes, the total count for the night was 150 covers — a crowd not seen since the most recent Palm Springs Modernism Week.
Eye on the Prize: National Leadership
While fundraising totals take time to tally and finalize, hopes are high that thanks to all this energy and excitement, DAP Health might just nab the number one spot for 2025. For the record, Greater Palm Springs routinely places in the top three, and raised $280,000 in 2024, besting much larger metros like New York, San Francisco, and Chicago.
The bottom line is that no other local fundraising affair brings out more mainstream fervor — or exemplifies the goodwill and sense of service that is in DAP Health’s DNA — than Dining Out For Life. “Few other events bring DAP Health closer to our tap root of community action,” stresses DAP Health CEO David Brinkman. “We were founded [40 years ago] on unconditional love and guided by community members who defined and funded solutions to help those in need.”
Participating Restaurants
1501 Uptown Gastropub
Aspen Mills Bakery & Cafe
Bar Cecil
The Barn Kitchen at Sparrows Lodge
Birba Cabazon
Birba PS
Blackbook
Bongo Johnny’s
Boozehounds
Carousel Bakery
Catalan Mediterranean Restaurant
Chef Tanya’s Kitchen-Palm Desert
Chef Tanya’s Kitchen-Palm Springs
Chicken Ranch
Chill Bar
Cipolline Osteria
Clandestino
Copley’s On Palm Canyon
Del Rey at Villa Royale
Eight4Nine Restaurant
El Mirasol Cocina Mexicana
El Patron
El Tacolgado
Elmer’s Restaurant
FARM
The Front Porch
Fuzion Five
Gelato Granucci
Hall Napa Valley Tasting Room
Hunters Nightclubs
Ice Cream & Shop(pe)
Jake’s
Johannes Restaurant
John Henry’s Cafe
Johnny Costa’s Ristorante
Juniper Table
Kaiser Grille Palm Springs
Kreem
La Cocina at Reforma
Le Donne Cucina Italiana
Loco Charlie’s
Lola Rose Grand Mezze
Lost Property Restaurant
Low Desert Modern Mexican
Native Foods, Palm Springs
Nick’s Italian Bistro
On The Mark
Palm Greens Cafe
The Pantry at Holiday House
Play Lounge & Cafe
Quadz Video Bar
Rooster And The Pig
Runway
Sherman’s Deli & Bakery – Palm Springs
Sherman’s Deli & Bakery East
SO•PA at L’Horizon
Spencer’s Restaurant
Stuft Pizza Bar & Grill
Tac/Quila
Toucan’s Tiki Lounge
Townie Bagels
Trio Restaurant
The Tropicale
Willie’s Modern Fare
Zin American Bistro
