On November 1 the 2011 DineAid charity campaign will begin, and there is still time for you to sign up to be part of it .

Along time ago, in a very different life, I was struck by a ‘curve ball’ (an unexpected and difficult situation) and had it not been for the generosity of others and the gift of a food parcel just days away from Christmas, who knows what the outcome might have been for me and my two young children. DineAid allows you to give people dining at your establishment the choice to add $2 to their table bill and donate to a cause that puts 100 per cent of the money collected back into the less fortunate in our communities through city missions.

By taking part in DineAid you will be touching lives and changing outcomes and who knows who you will be helping. Maybe one day they will be in a position to help you back or support you in something you are trying to do. Because the reality is none of us knows when a ‘curve ball’ will strike.

Unfortunately for me and my journalist, Kathryn Steane, a couple of ‘curve balls’ struck us just recently, making us redundant. So this will be my last editorial to you, and it would be very remiss of me not to say a huge ‘thank you’ to each and every one of you for your support during my seven years editing firstly, food2Go (and for a time Coffee Culture) and then Food & Beverage Today, along with its sister publication Catering Plus.

The fact that I learnt so much about this industry in a relatively short time can only be attributed to the way you opened up your businesses to me and welcomed me into your kitchens. Through sharing your knowledge I was able to then pass on information to our readers and hopefully that has helped them grow their businesses. Many of you have become friends along the way and it is that, that I will miss the most. I know how passionate so many of you are about what you do and I wish you every success in your business both now and in the future. And I hope that our paths will cross again one day.

Hospitality editor, Don Kavanagh will be your point of contact from here on in. You can contact him at donk@mediawweb.co.nz

Go well and remember: “Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you’ll be able to enjoy it a second time,” – Dalai Lama

Cynthia Daly, editor

Food & Beverage Today