There are innumerable approaches to the art of charitable giving and countless ways to give back to one's community. Any one of a thousand profiles of people helping others is bound to impress, yet the story of Mario Del Guidice and his relationship with the Coachella Valley, as well as his unwavering devotion to Desert Arc, is an especially heart-warming one.

A staple in the local hospitality industry for close to 50 years, the Mario’s Italian Café brand has grown to include seven locations throughout Greater Palm Springs. Del Guidice got his first taste of the restaurant business in 1961, working in Queens and Brooklyn, New York.