Dining Out For Life returns to Asheville, supports HIV care regionwide

The 24th annual event, sponsored by the Western North Carolina AIDS Project and held in partnership with the Asheville Independent Restaurant Association, sent a share of event-day sales to WNCAP’s work. Restaurants traditionally donate 20% of sales, but because Hurricane Helene still has many businesses rebuilding, participating restaurants in 2026 could choose to give 5%, 10% or 20% instead.

That flexibility did not change the scope of the effort. WNCAP says it serves people across 18 counties, including Buncombe, Henderson, Madison, Haywood, Transylvania, Jackson, Swain, Macon, Graham, Clay and Cherokee, along with Cleveland, Avery, Mitchell, Yancey, McDowell, Rutherford, Polk and Henderson counties. Its services are free and confidential and include case management, emergency financial assistance for eligible individuals, access to medication, HMAP enrollment, prevention education and STI testing.

The fundraiser has become a fixture of Asheville’s spring calendar because the money stays close to home. WNCAP says Dining Out For Life raised more than $85,000 in 2025, and the event has brought in hundreds of thousands of dollars over its 24-year run. That money supports HIV care and prevention in a region where access to services can be uneven, while also sending business to local restaurants that help anchor Asheville’s dining scene.