Who will you dine out for? “Dine Out for Safety” returns to Tucson on April 10th

Who will you Dine Out for? That’s the question being asked around Tucson as “Dine Out for Safety” returns on April 10th for its 17th year. The facts are staggering:

• Every 13 seconds a child is abused

• One in six women will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime.

• By age of 18, one in six boys will be abused.

• Someone is affected by sexual violence every 2.5 minutes.

We’re asking our communities to help us help those in need. Dine Out for Safety is a unique and fun community-wide event that encourages the community to support survivors of sexual abuse and assault by simply gathering up their friends and family and dining out. On April 10th, restaurants in the Tucson metro area have joined in the effort by agreeing to donate a portion of that day’s sales to Southern Arizona Center Against Sexual Assault in an effort to increase awareness about their vital services. 100% of the proceeds will stay in the local community to support survivors of sexual assault and abuse.

The Southern Arizona Center Against Sexual Assault (SACASA) is a community resource that provides education and support for individuals and families impacted by sexual trauma. SACASA provides a safe place for survivors to gain strength, learn coping skills, and develop trusting, caring relationships. This event is held each year in April as it is Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

The Dine Out committee recruited leaders and community members to tell us who they were “dining out for.” Participants personalized their messages for a photo shoot to help share the important message, “I’m Dining Out For _______.” The collection of these photos can be seen in Dine Out materials across the city. The photo shoot included UA Assistant Basketball Coach Brandy Manning, children’s author Janni Lee Simner, and Arizona Daily Star Cartoonist David Fitzsimmons. The photos were taken courtesy of Rachel Castillo and Fluxx Studio.
Special thanks to the Community Partnership of Southern Arizona, Clear Channel Tucson, Comcast, Advision Outdoor, Cox Media and Desert Diamond Casino for their sponsorships of the event.

Participating Restaurants:   Bluefin Seafood Bistro, Café Desta, La Cocina, Don Pedro’s Peruvian Bistro, Kingfisher American Grill, NobleHops, Pastiche, Vero Amore, Wilko, Zivaz and Zona 78

More information about the event and an updated list of participating restaurants are available at www.dineoutforsafety.org.