For many, local breweries and bars are go-to places for kicking back, leaving life’s stresses at the door, and enjoying a drink with friends. Because they serve as these important gathering places, our local drinking holes play vital roles in our communities. Because they’re so popular, drinking establishments can also play a part in the way their patrons give back to their communities.
If there’s a cause for which you’d like to raise money or awareness, partnering with a local drinking establishment is a great way to do so. Here are some ideas on how you can give back while having a boatload of fun.
Participate in a Fun Run (to a Bar)
Fun runs, generically, are noncompetitive runs that are usually sponsored by local businesses to benefit a local organization. If there’s a local cause you support, consider participating in a “beer run.” Many organizations in many cities have fun runs that revolve around beer – either ending at a local drinking establishment or stopping at various bars and pubs along the run route.
The great thing about beer runs is that they not only end in beer (crucial) but they also promote health and wellbeing while raising money for good causes. This can be done through entry fees, sponsorships, or pledges for participants.
If your city doesn’t have any upcoming beer runs scheduled and you’re feeling ambitious, why not start a new tradition? With social media, getting the word out about an event like this is easier than ever. Call your local bars and breweries and it’s likely that you’ll find tons of support for a great cause.
Pub Crawl Your Way to a Better Community
Not a big fan of running? Fine. How about you crawl instead of run for charity? A pub crawl is simply visiting a series of bars along a predestined route, drinking at each, and moving on. People do pub crawls for birthdays, holidays, corporate outings, and yes, charity fundraising.
Like a fun run, you can set up sponsorships and pledges for your charity pub crawl. Remember to take a donation bucket with you wherever you go, as jovial bar patrons will likely be more than happy to donate to your fundraiser. If you want to go the extra mile, try designing special shirts for your pub crawl team and sell them (Just be sure you have the permission of any brewery or bar you attend before asking patrons for donations or selling items like t-shirts!).
Coordinate a Fundraiser
If you don’t want to set up a city-wide crawl, you can also use your favorite bar or brewery as a place for a stationary fundraiser. Talk to your local drinking establishments. Chances are, they’ll be more than happy to help with your fundraiser as it not only boosts the local community of which they are a part, but it also brings in more foot traffic to their business.
To raise money for your cause, you can hire entertainment and charge a cover. You can also sell tickets for raffles and contests, relying on donated prizes. Talk to other local businesses to see if they are interested in sponsoring your pub fundraiser.
Frequent Your Local Bars
Yes, pumping your hard-earned money into a local business and the people who work there is an admirable way to give back to your community. Instead of staying home and drinking, get out and about. In fact, a new study shows that gathering at your favorite local drinking spot is actually good for you! So, boost the local economy, and most importantly – have fun!