Don't be fooled by the name: Dining Out for Life is not a contest prize, but an imperative. When you dine out at one of 150 Seattle restaurants April 24, 30 percent of your bill will benefit Lifelong AIDS Alliance in their fight against HIV and AIDS in the Puget Sound region.

Participating restaurants include Cafe Presse, Cremant, How to Cook a Wolf, Quinn's Pub, Ristorante Machiavelli, Mama's Mexican Kitchen, Hattie's Hat, 35th Street Bistro and far too many more to name in this space.

You almost have to go out of your way not to do some good this evening, so why fight it? Go out tonight, eat a good meal and help save lives.

Copyright © 2008 The Seattle Times Company