Now in its seventh year, Dining Out for Life is the day in Hudson when lunch or dinner at participating restaurants means a minimum 25%-of-the-check donation to the The AIDS Council of Northeastern NY. Each restaurant has a Council-appointed "ambassador" to meet and greet, turning what normally would be a casual Thursday night out into one big party. Of course, they also serve who only sit and eat but the real heroes of the program are the restaurateurs. This year's participants: Baba Louie's, Mexican Radio, Ca'Mea, the Red Dot, (pm)Wine Bar, and MOD Cafe, a new restaurant across from the railway station. At left: the MOD Squad, bartenders Pat Baldwin, Rachel Myer (whose Peggy Lipton-esque dress is from Sideshow, with hair by Ken Jacobs of Casa Urbana, and make-up by John Jones IV, at Face, all in Hudson), and Joe Ridley. James Male, below, MOD's ambassador, held a contest, a quiz of Mod Squad trivia. The winners: Kathy and Michael Ferrusi, who son Charlie Ferrusi made national headlines last year when he and a gay buddy, Timmy Howard, ran for and were overwhelmingly elected prom King & Queen at Hudson High.
Peter O'Hara and Robert Montgomery official greeters at Ca'Mea; Marty Davidson, of Claverack, at the bar at Ca'Mea enjoying his 7th consecutive Dining Out for Life. "I've been with them from the start," he says.
Jeff Orendack, Phil Yeh, and ambassador Peter Frank at Baba Louie's; Alana Hauptman, owner of the Red Dot, with ambassadors Stephen King, and Peter Bevacqua
Elizabeth Donahue, James Male, and Jessica Weiner; Greg Jiritano, Amy Gordon, MOD owner Mary DiStefano, and Mod owner Dana Wegener
James Male, Edward Tivnan, Phil Forman, Paul Hamann, Sr., Liz Hamann, their son Paul Hamann, Jr., Paula Forman, and Kitty Mackey.
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Matteline deVries-Dilling, founder of Lite Brite Neon, one of the evening's honoree of this year's Upstate Benefit adresses the gala from the Caboose's caboose.
- Karen Pearson. Courtesy Art Omi.
Olana senior vice president and landscape curatorMark Prezorski, president Sean Sawyer, The evenings honoree Kristin Gamble and New York State Assemblymember Didi Barrett.
- Oxygen House Photo
