Harrisburg Beer Week organizers recently awarded $45,000 to its exclusive beneficiary, Harrisburg River Rescue and Emergency Services, taking its total in five years to $170,000 to the nonprofit emergency response team. A check presentation took place at The Millworks, 340 Verbeke St., Harrisburg. The donation was raised from proceeds from Harrisburg Beer Week , which ran April 26 to May 5. The 10-day annual event celebrates the local craft beer community while serving as a fundraiser for Harrisburg River Rescue.
“Every year, this community somehow manages to exceed our expectations in terms of the love and support it shows for our mission,” said Sara Bozich, Harrisburg Beer Week cofounder. “It is only because of our generous sponsors, participating breweries and venues, local homebrewers, volunteers, and the craft beer-loving community who come out to support these events with their hard-earned money, that we are able to accomplish this each year, and we’re honored and eager to share this year’s check with our beneficiary, Harrisburg River Rescue.”
Harrisburg River Rescue is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, volunteer organization that provides community based, high quality, cost effective water rescue and emergency services for the residents of the south central Pennsylvania region.
“We cannot describe our level of appreciation to the sponsors, the venues, the volunteers and all the supporters that attended throughout the week,” said Tony Reigle, fundraising chairman, Harrisburg River Rescue and Emergency Services. “Each event that venues put on, every donation made, every event attended — it’s bigger than just enjoying Beer Week. It has become the heartbeat of our organization.
“The success and growth of Harrisburg River Rescue is directly attributed to the success and growth of Harrisburg Beer Week. We would not be the organization we are today without all the hard work and dedication of the Harrisburg Beer Week team, volunteers and everyone that came out to support it,” Reigle said.
Harrisburg Beer Week 2020
Organizers announced that next year’s event will run April 17-26, 2020. The group also announced the newest collaborator to be added to the 717 Collaboration Beer, a beer brewed each year exclusively for the event with a portion of the proceeds from draft sales donated to Harrisburg River Rescue & Emergency Services. Next year’s 717 Collaboration Beer participants will include Tröegs Independent Brewing, Appalachian Brewing Co., Zeroday Brewing Co., Boneshire Brew Works and new addition Millworks Brewery.
Facts about Harrisburg River Rescue and Emergency Services
- HRRES was Pennsylvania’s first water search and rescue organization. It is widely considered one of the best in and around the state.
- A self-sufficient nonprofit, 100 percent volunteer organization, HRRES is not a funded entity of the City of Harrisburg or state of Pennsylvania.
- HRRES lost their former station during Tropical Storm Lee while performing rescue operations.
- Today, they’re working hard to renovate a former HVAC warehouse to reduce response time and provide a much-needed modern training facility.
Harrisburg Beer Week says
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