A coalition of restaurants are joining The National Press Club, The Washington Post, Georgetown University and Reporters Without Borders to raise awareness of Austin Tice, an American journalist who has been held captive in Syria since August 2012 and to raise more reward money through a Night Out program. The program encourages restaurants to offer a percentage of the revenue raised from the Night Out promotion at their restaurant on May 2.

To commit, restaurants must complete and sign a pledge form. In exchange, the restaurant will benefit from advertising/marketing and publicity related to the Night Out program, which encourages diners to support participating restaurants.

Tice was last heard from after being stopped at a checkpoint in Syria. No one is claiming to have him or demanding ransom. A native of Houston, Tice, a George Polk Award honoree and National Press Club Press Freedom Honoree, worked for McClatchy, The Washington Post and CBS.  He was at Georgetown Law School when he left to go to work in Syria. He also had served in the United States Marine Corps in Iraq. In April 2018, the FBI offered a $1 million reward for information leading to his safe return.

For more, click here.