Ambassadors Raise Big Bucks… And Have Fun Doing It

On May 2, 2019, more than 250 local restaurants and breweries will donate 25 percent of sales to Project Angel Heart for Dining Out For Life®. For 25 years, the event has been our biggest fundraiser. The key to that success? Volunteer ambassadors!

Ambassadors represent Project Angel Heart at participating restaurants during this fun, one-day event. They invite their friends and family to dine out and then, on the day of, thank people for dining out and tell them more about our mission.

Ambassadors also give diners the opportunity to make personal donations at the event… which makes a huge impact. The average personal donation total at restaurants without volunteer ambassadors is just $39. At restaurants with an ambassador, the total is $835—more than 20 times higher! Every dollar they raise helps Project Angel Heart provide meals for neighbors in need.

Take It From a Pro

Peter MacDowell has been volunteering as an ambassador for more than ten years—most of them at Wash Park Grille. We asked him what keeps him coming back each time:

How did you first get involved as an ambassador?

I happened to have gone to high school and was roommates with “Charlie” Robbins [Project Angel Heart’s founder] back in the early 80s, long before Project Angel Heart began. I then moved away from Denver for 15 years. I returned in 2000 and found myself looking for a volunteering outfit and learned about what “Charles” had started years earlier. The rest is history!

What is your favorite part about being an ambassador?

Interacting with the customers at the restaurants is what brings me back year after year, especially guests that come in intentionally for Dining Out For Life. I also always bring in six or eight tables of old friends, so that makes it even more fun for me and Project Angel Heart benefits even more!

When you volunteer during Dining Out For Life, how do you create good rapport with the diners and restaurant staff? 

With diners, I like to tell them my history with the restaurant I volunteer at, Wash Park Grille- how I frequented it back in the 80s to see live music. That always loosens things up!

With the staff, I try to get there early and learn about their specials and dessert favorite. I also explain that I am here to help upsell the guests to purchase more food, so tips are bigger!

What advice do you have for new ambassadors?

Be outgoing and have fun with the customers. It makes the evening so much more enjoyable and again, it does nothing but benefit Project Angel Heart.

Sound Like Fun? Please Join Us!

Click here to learn more about the ambassador role and sign up to volunteer.

If you’re not available to volunteer on May 2, you can still help. Sign up to be a virtual ambassador and use your online fundraising page to invite your friends to dine out and/or make a donation.