Uncategorized

This week, your local beer or wine purchase can help Salem kids

A child in day care at the Boys & Girls Club of Salem on August 13, 2020 starts on a DIY lava lamp project (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter)

If you’ve been looking for a chance to stock up on local beer or wine, you’re in luck.

The Boys and Girls Club of Salem is holding its annual Cinco de Micro Brewfest this week online after cancelling the event in the spring due to the pandemic.

The annual event started a decade ago to raise money for the club while giving local breweries, cideries and wineries a chance to show off their latest creations.

It’s typically held at the Grand Hotel in the spring, with dozens of brews on tap from local, regional and national breweries.

After canceling the event, the club decided to focus on just a few local breweries and wineries for the online version. They’re calling it Cases for a Cause.

“We knew we wanted to keep this a smaller scale,” said Kari Roberts, the club’s director of marketing.

Supporters can now buy a case of beer or package of local wine from Willamette Valley Vineyards, Xicha Brewing, Gilgamesh Brewing or Varnum Vinters. Profits are split between the club and the brewery or winery.

The online sale is hosted on an auction platform, but there’s no bidding involved, Roberts said. Prices are set, so anyone can pick up a case of Mamba or a sampler of wine until the item runs out. Sales are open all week through Oct. 25. More information is available on the club’s website.

Roberts said organizers hoped the event will still give some much-needed business to breweries and wineries struggling as supporters go to pick up their purchases.

“They’ll be picking up the cases and the bottles from the wineries and the breweries directly,” she said.

The Boys and Girls Club runs after school and child care programs for school-age kids, charging just a few dollars per month for most families. Their goal is to reach kids who otherwise couldn’t afford an after-school program, which means they rely on fundraising to cover the costs.

That’s been especially challenging this year as state health guidelines have increased the cost of operating child care facilities because of smaller staffing ratios and more sanitation.

“Our biggest restriction is how many kids we can serve safely,” she said.

Roberts said the Brewfest fundraiser normally brings in over $100,000 for the club. It’s not their largest fundraiser, but it’s a significant source of support. This year, they’re aiming for $45,000 or $50,000 for the online version.

Their annual fall auction, scheduled for November, has also been scaled back.

Roberts said the club is aided by the businesses that kept their sponsorships for the Brewfest even though the event is now online.

“We’re grateful that so many of them have stuck with us this year,” she said.

SUPPORT ESSENTIAL REPORTING FOR SALEM – A subscription starts at $5 a month for around-the-clock access to stories and email alerts sent directly to you. Your support matters. Go HERE.

Contact reporter Rachel Alexander: [email protected] or 503-575-1241.

Rachel Alexander is Salem Reporter’s managing editor. She joined Salem Reporter when it was founded in 2018 and covers city news, education, nonprofits and a little bit of everything else. She’s been a journalist in Oregon and Washington for a decade. Outside of work, she’s a skater and board member with Salem’s Cherry City Roller Derby and can often be found with her nose buried in a book.