PHOTOS: Wall to Wall Legends at Dining Out for Life Host Restaurant in Philadelphia

By Josh Middleton· 5/5/2015, 3:24 p.m.

Last Thursday night, diners across the region headed out to their favorite restaurants for the 25th anniversary of Dining Out for Life (DOFL). ActionAIDS‘s annual event raises funds for local HIV charities by asking participating restaurants to donate 33 percent of that night’s ticket sales to the cause. As of publish date, ActionAIDS hadn’t had a chance to tally all the money raised this year, but a rep from the organization tells me that by all accounts, restaurants across the city were packed, and the event should be on track to meet or beat its yearly average of $250,000 for the region.

This year’s host restaurant was Frankford Hall in Fishtown, and, as my friend Tammy Faymous would say, the place was packed with wall-to-wall legends. There, local community leaders gathered to dine and schmooze with superstar DOFL spokespeople Mondo Guerra (Project Runway) and chef Daisy Martinez (Daisy Cooks!). Among the locals who showed up were Mayor Michael Nutter, outgoing Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) President Drew Becher, mayoral hopeful Jim Kenney and leaders of many of the city’s HIV/AIDS service organizations, like Christopher Bartlett (William Way Community Center) Ronda Goldfein (AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania) Robb Reichert (AIDS Fund) and Jane Shull (Philadelphia FIGHT). ActionAIDS sent some photographs from the restaurant. Check them out below:

Dining Out for Life celebrity spokespeople chef Daisy Martinez and designer Mondo Guerra.

Mayor Nutter, ActionAIDS executive director Kevin Burns, ActIon AIDS's Michael Byrne and Mondo Guerra.

Guests with William Way Executive Director Chris Bartlett (second from left) and AIDS Law Project Executive Director Ronda Goldfein (far right).

Mayoral candidate Jim Kenney with Daisy Martinez and Mondo Guerra

Out City Council candidate Paul Steinke with AIDS Law Project's Ronda Goldfein and mayoral candidate Seth Williams.

Mondo Guerra and out City Council candidate Sherrie Cohen.

Outgoing PHS president Drew Becher gabs with Jeff Guaracino (right), and PHS's Lisa Stephano (left).

Philadelphia Gay News publisher Mark Segal (in the yellow tie) hosted his customary table full of politicos and his husband Jason (in the purple tie).

ActionAIDS Executive Director Kevin Burns going over notes with Mayor Nutter before their remarks.

Mayor Nutter helped ActionAIDS kick off the evening with formal proclamation

Vernalicious food truck operator Verna Swerdlow won DOFL’s first-ever Hero Award, which recognizes an ActionAIDS volunteer for amazing service. It was Swerdlow's idea to add the food truck round-up three years ago, and she has organized all three events since then.