FORT MYERS, Fla. (Aug. 22, 2023) – Southwest Florida’s highly anticipated annual culinary event, Sizzle Dining, is back and better than ever. This three week-long celebration of food and community will take place from September 7-27 at restaurants across the region. Sizzle Dining will not only delight food enthusiasts but also serve as a platform to support a noble cause. All proceeds from the event will benefit Blessings in a Backpack SWFL, a program that feeds children in need on the weekends while they cannot access meals at school. The event includes specials at over 50 participating restaurants across Lee and Collier Counties that will donate $1.00 from each meal directly to Blessings in a Backpack.
Held annually in September, the event includes some of the best restaurants from Cape Coral down to Marco Island, and everywhere tasty in between! It's simple, go to sizzledining.com, pick your city and look through the menus of restaurants listed in that area, make reservations and enjoy! No passes, tickets, vouchers or coupons are required. Simply visit any one of the participating restaurants throughout the 21-day event and order from the Sizzle Dining menu. Use #DineWithPurpose to help spread the word and to share your Sizzle Dining experience!
Two-course lunches start at just $19 or $29 and three-course dinners start at either $29, $39 or $49. Price depends on location, but a dollar from each meal purchased goes directly to Blessings in a Backpack SWFL.
TIM GIBBONS PHOTOGRAPHY
Founder of Sizzle Dining, Guy Clarke, gets ready to sample a burger from one of the participating restaurants.
Sizzle Dining Founder Guy Clarke said, “We are honored to be able to partner with Blessings in a Backpack for this event again this year. The work they do to support the children in our community is outstanding and we are happy to be able to donate our proceeds to their organization.”
“Being a part of Sizzle Dining each year is a huge benefit for our organization,” said Cecilia St. Arnold, Executive Director for Blessings in a Backpack SWFL. “We sincerely appreciate what Guy and the restaurants do for this event, and encourage the community to dine out knowing that Sizzle Dining supports our children.”
During the week, many young students are fed by federal government programs through school meals. A leader in the movement to end childhood hunger, Blessings in a Backpack ensures these children receive nutritional meals over the weekend during the school year. Every Friday afternoon, each child receives a backpack filled with nutritious, kid-friendly, ready-to-eat items. They return the backpacks on Monday, and each is filled and ready for the next weekend. A donation of only $130 will provide meals for 36 weekends for one school-age child. Blessings’ goal this school year is to feed over 7,000 school children. For more information, please visit swfl.blessingsinabackpack.org.
Sizzle Dining highlights and strengthens our local destination’s brand and culinary reputation. Attracting tourists to the area increases business for hotels, shopping centers, entertainment, and other local businesses. Everyone benefits from this impact and all the restaurants that participate see increased traffic and many new faces during the event. For more information, or to become a participating restaurant, please visit sizzledining.com.
Please consider making a donation to feed more Southwest Florida children at https://swfl.blessingsinabackpack.org/hurricane-ian-response/.
Where will you dine? Find the choices here.
Blessings in a Backpack helps prevent childhood hunger
Blessings in a Backpack SWFL serves over 6,500 students through 31 school-based programs located throughout Lee and Collier Counties. In these schools, test scores, reading skills, positive behavior, general health, and school attendance have improved dramatically due in part to students receiving the nourishment they need throughout the week and the weekends.
Kids are our future; you can help secure theirs. A $130 donation will feed a child for one full school year. Gifts of all sizes are welcome through the donation’s portal at https://swfl.blessingsinabackpack.org/ or via mail at P.O. Box 61402 Fort Myers, FL 33906. All contributions are tax-deductible.