Tucson’s Dine Out for Safety supports survivors

TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Today is a great excuse to step out for lunch, dinner or even just a cup of coffee and make a difference while you are at it.

Across Tucson, 22 different spots are participating in Dine Out for Safety, where a portion of your meal goes toward supporting the Southern Arizona Center Against Sexual Assault, also known as SACASA. It is a simple way to give back just by dining out.

Christopher Uhrig was born and raised in Tucson, but at one point, he felt ready to leave it behind.

“I decided to tell my parents that I wanted to become a truck driver because I was like I need to leave Tucson,” Uhrig says.

After completing his training, he hit the road, traveling across the country for work.

“It was amazing because I got to look out of my office window and see coast to coast,” Uhrig explains.

But during one trip in Alabama, everything changed.

“I do remember being punched in the chest. It turned into a blur,” Uhrig explains, “I remember certain flashes of certain things, but my true memory didn’t come back until I was in the hospital. I had realized that after he had attacked me, he, he had knocked me out, um, and when I woke up there was, there was blood, there was just a mess.”

In the aftermath, Uhrig says he struggled with shame and doubt. “I felt like no one was going to believe me. I felt like because I’m a man, guys don’t get sexually assaulted, um, because I’m gay, maybe I deserved it.”

Over time, he began opening up to his family. Later, he met his husband, someone he says played a big role in helping him heal.

Uhrig

“I wanted to find a name and find a per persona for myself, that I could take back the power, um, of what had happened to me that that night.” Uhrig says he eventually found that sense of power through becoming a drag queen. It gave him a way to reclaim his identity and turn his experience into something meaningful. Now, he uses that role to uplift others and serve as a role model for those still finding their voice.

“I didn’t even know places like SACASA existed. They are able to be the support system that you need.”

Events like Dine Out for Safety make that support possible. Last year alone, the event raised more than $85,000 to fund services for survivors.

“It’s really just being able to break the stigma of having tough conversations outside of, um, your home or inside of an office with a professional like we can talk about these things at dinner,” Uhrig says.

Participating Restaurants:

• Amore – Dove Mountain

• Batey Puerto Rican Gastronomy

• Brother John’s Beer, Bourbon & BBQ

• Bumsted’s

• Café 54

• Charro Steak – North

• Charro Steak & Del Rey

• El Charro Café – all locations

• Feast

• Gourmet Girls Gluten Free Bakery/Bistro

• JoJo’s Restaurant

• Mama Louisa’s Italian Restaurant

• Midtown Vegan Deli & Market

• Reilly Craft Pizza & Drink

• The Monica

• Wings & Rice

• Yellowbrick Coffee – both locations

• Zemam’s Ethiopian Cuisine