Feast of Saint Arnold raises $106,000 for Texas Children's Hospital

Truly feastly! Photo Elizabeth Garcia

Where there is charity and wisdom, there is neither fear nor ignorance. That’s a quote from Francis of Assisi, an Italian saint from the 12th and 13th century. Saintly types are always promoting the giving spirit, so it only makes sense that Saint Arnold Brewing Co. would celebrate similar charitable inclinations, named after Saint Arnold of Metz (582-640), who is the patron saint of brewers.

Saint Arnold, the oldest craft brewery in Texas, recently announced the 2016 Feast of Saint Arnold raised a total of $106,000 for Texas Children’s Hospital Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Center. The funds will support research into IBD, a group of autoimmune disorders including Crohn’s Disease and ulcerative colitis, which together affect approximately 1.6 million Americans. A portion of funds also cover the costs of Texas Children’s Camp Survived It All for gastrointestinal (GI) patients who otherwise would not be able to afford going.

We raise our pints to Saint Arnold’s generosity. Charity work is more than just giving money away. It is working with charity. Craft brewers should treat it as seriously as any other responsibilities of running a brewery. View it as an investment in your business, which is a part of the community and the people that support it. It’s a great way to create interdependent relationships with shared values and benefits. Here are some tips for doing so effectively.

For progressive Saint Arnold, that is a relationship with a progressive medical center. The first of its kind in the Southwest, Texas Children’s IBD Center offers a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach to the diagnosis and treatment of IBD in pediatric patients. According to the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America, there may be as many as 80,000 children in the United States with IBD.

It is a cause that Brock Wagner, founder and brewer of Saint Arnold Brewing Co., takes seriously. He serves as president of the Houston Leadership Board of the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America and has personally made a 10-year, $250,000 commitment to fund research in the Texas Children’s IBD Center.

“We are involved in a lot of community activities, but the Feast of Saint Arnold is special — celebrating the tradition of great beer and food and giving back to our community — we are already looking forward to 2017,” Wagner said.

First held in 2011, the Feast of Saint Arnold honors the Houston brewery’s namesake, Saint Arnold of Metz. The feast featured four courses created through a collaboration between Saint Arnold Executive Chef Ryan Savoie and Brenner’s Executive Chef Jason Cole. The night also featured special beers, including Saint Arnold Pumpkinator aged in Bourbon Barrels, cask conditioned Saint Arnold Divine Reserve No. 13 and “Dubbelganger,” which is Saint Arnold Icon Red-Sorachi Ace Dubbel with Brettanomyces.